


The Outlying Serpent

by HerbologistWrites



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Draco Malfoy Has a Sibling, Draco Malfoy Needs a Hug, F/M, Good Narcissa Black Malfoy, Good Slytherins, Gryffindor/Slytherin Inter-House Relationships, Lucius Malfoy Being an Asshole, Major Original Character(s), Malfoy Family-centric (Harry Potter), Moral Dilemmas, Mutual Pining, Protective Fred Weasley, Pureblood Society (Harry Potter), Purebloods (Harry Potter), Severus Snape is Draco Malfoy's Godparent, Slytherin, Slytherin Politics, Wizarding Wars (Harry Potter), honestly ocs life kinda falls apart, imma mother NO DRAMA, kinda slow at first... but when it gets going it’s goinggg, might get spicy... dk yet lol
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:02:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 45,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28044372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HerbologistWrites/pseuds/HerbologistWrites
Summary: "I've heard that we're to be blessed with another Weasley this year,"Fred chuckled. Sarcasm had always been her forté."He's hardly a blessing, and an annoying excuse for a Weasley," He felt a sense of pride hearing her giggle at his joke, "-I've also heard that we're to be cursed with another Malfoy this year."Ara Andromeda Malfoy was anything but a curse, and Fred Gideon Weasley knew that from the bottom of his heart.
Relationships: Cedric Diggory & Original Female Character(s), Draco Malfoy & Original Female Character(s), Fred Weasley/Original Character(s), Fred Weasley/Original Female Character(s), George Weasley & Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 39
Kudos: 140





	1. Prologue

**_First Book_**

**_September 1st 1991  
_ ** **_Third Year_ **

The lulled rumbling sound of the Hogwarts Express as it pushed through the Scottish highlands was something Fred would always love. Standing at the end of the train carriage, tucked away in a corner by himself, he was able to appreciate peace, for what would probably be the last time in a long time.

Not that he minded, he'd never been an aficionado for peace. He much rather preferred bustling, hectic, boisterous environments. But, peace needed to be experienced from time to time as well, if for no reason other than to appreciate the latter.

" _So_ , where's your better half?"

Not taking his eyes off the beautiful Scottish scenery flying by, Fred tried to hold back the smile that was beginning to form.

"I haven't the slightest idea, he's probably still looking at Lee's-"

"Stop!" She shuttered, remembering the tarantula Lee Jordan had brought onto the train, her friends had forced her to go take a look but she quickly left after taking a mere peek at the _atrocious_ thing.

"-Why'd you need him, anyway? Looking for a quick snog?"

Out of the corner of his eye, trying to seem as casual as possible, Fred watched, nearly intoxicated by her sarcastic laugh.

_George was a lucky man if she did snog him._

"Very funny- _Freddie_ ," She crossed her arms, and unlike him, did not try to hold back her smile, "-I wanted to talk to him about last years exams, I didn't get a chance to before we left,"

_And Merlin forbid you wrote and your insane family found out._

"I always do forget, he's not as stupid as he seems,"

Fred finally turned his head over to the enticing witch. He looked her over and smirked before turning his gaze back to the fast moving scenery.

"Well, Georgie is _smart_ , maybe you forget because it's one of the few qualities you two, _unfortunately_ , do not share," Her voice, and demeanour, were both coated in smugness.

She leaned her shoulders onto the window that Fred was gazing out of, the small of her back pressed the railing under said window. As she stood beside him, patiently waiting for him to say something back, Fred felt his breath hitch. Her big blue eyes stared up at his face expectantly, practically enchanting the boy.

Fred was snapped back to reality when he noticed her smirk and raise an eyebrow, shaking his head he quickly brought his attention back to the landscape.

"I'm just as smart as him, when I want to be,"

"Perhaps, but then that's much worse. It means you chose not to be,"

"And how would you know? I don't recall telling you my final grades?"

She shrugged, realizing he was right.

_Thank goodness, if she had probed further I would've had to tell her my actual grades._

So, Second Year hadn't been the easiest on Fred's marks. They were by no means _bad_ marks, but not necessarily good either. She didn't need to know that though.

A comfortable silence fell over the pair, they had both turned to looked out of the window at the moving landscape.

"I've heard that we're to be _blessed_ with another Weasley this year,"

Fred chuckled. Sarcasm had always been her forté.

"He's hardly a blessing, and an annoying excuse for a Weasley," He felt a sense of pride hearing her giggle at his joke, "I've also heard that we're to be _cursed_ with another Malfoy this year."

_She was anything but a curse._

In reality, Fred hadn't heard anything. But, he remembered the time in charms last term when she'd been complaining about her brother attending Hogwarts the following year.

"You _heard_ correctly," She smiled up at him and shook her head, "-So then, what's your _blessing_ named?"

"Ronald,"

She made a face.

"What?" Fred asked curiously.

"It's just- not a very appealing name," The twin gasped, and then started laughing.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me! Please tell me you at least call him Ron? That's much more endearing, _cute_ even," She shrugged while smiling widely. Fred couldn't tell if she was pulling his leg or not.

"Yes, we do call him Ron," Fred admitted, "-Alright then, and what's your _curse_ named?"

She suppressed a smile and bit her lip.

"Draco,"

Fred's mouth fell open.

"And you were making fun of Ronald? What kind of-"

"I was _not_ making fun-" She interrupted with a gasp, quickly spinning to face him.

"Yes! You _were!"_ Fred shook his head, "-What kind of name is Draco? Did your parents have a constellation theme in mind?"

They were both quiet for a moment, at first Fred feared he'd crossed some strange line, but when he heard her laugh, genuinely laugh, he was quickly put at ease.

"I guess they did,"

"With a name like _Ara Andromeda Malfoy,_ I'd say they definitely did,"

" _Fred!"_ Ara hissed, and quickly covered the boys mouth, "-Just because you and George went through those _stupid_ student files and know my full name, doesn't mean everyone else has to!"

 _"Awh,_ don't want anyone to call you Andromeda? Or is it just a secret?" Fred teased, after ripping her hand off of his mouth, instead of letting her go, he held her small wrist in his palm.

Despite his taunting, Fred did lower his voice considerably, so that if those who had gone to admire Jordan's overgrown spider were to come back, or the ones too disgusted to go were to walk out of their train compartment and into the hall, they wouldn't able to hear the pairs conversation.

"It's a little bit of both," Ara admitted, quietly. The response had peaked Fred's interest, but he knew better then to try to stick his nose in Ara's business, _in her family's business._

"Well, _Andromeda_ , your secret is safe with me, and George didn't even check your file, by the way,"

Last year the twins had decided that they wanted to take a look at those ' _permanent records'_ they'd so often been threatened with. Being the trouble makers they were, they managed to sneak into Dumbledore's office and do it, along the way they'd learned a few tidbits of information about their fellow students.

"Oh, so you were just feeling _extra_ nosey?"

"You could say that,"

"Well-"

_"Ara!"_

A group of Slytherins had seemingly gotten bored with Jordan's arachnid.

Ara's hand quickly pulled away from the gingers beside her, and she stepped away from him, leaving Fred feeling almost cold from the lack of touch.

"Yes?"

He fell back towards the window, and began to pretend he was just admiring the Scottish landscape, but in reality he attentively listened and, out of the corner of his eye, watched what was happening.

"A group of us Third Years are messing the Firsts, are you in?"

_Here comes the Slytherins Matron. She was truly to good for them._

"You will do no such thing. My brother is a First Year, and besides, they're already far enough from home, they don't need any scary older kids hexing them," Ara scolded softly while walking over to her friends, who were all dressed in the same shade of green as her.

"We won't hex your brother! C'mon, it'll be _fun!"_

"You'll only get yourselves in trouble, openly hexing lowerclassmen,"

She had always had her fellow housemates best interests at heart, standing up for them, and always protecting the _snakes_ when no one else cared to. Fred wondered how long she'd be able to keep that up.

 _"Merlin, Ara_ , prefects are chosen in _two years,_ you can have a little fun now you know,"

"You're such a stick in the-"

_Ungrateful serpents._

Fred never could understand how she managed to hang out with the lot without going insane, they seemed like the _worst_ company.

Their voices began to fade as Ara shoved the group into their compartment, all while telling them to _'act their age'._ Fred felt himself become disappointed upon realizing she'd failed to say a simple goodbye.

 _"Weasley!"_ His head snapped over to her, she stood at the door of her compartment, giving him charming smile, one that made him nearly swoon.

"Let's hope our respective blessing and curse get along this year?"

"I doubt that, but then again, look at us, clearly anything is possible,"

Ara giggled while shaking her head, and yelled out a quick _'bye!'_ before being pulled into her train compartment. He heard the door slide shut, and her pesky Slytherins begin to interrogate her, rather loudly, on what she was doing with ' _that bloody Gryffindor'._

" _Freddie_ , what _have_ you gotten yourself into?" 

Fred turned towards the voice, a smiled plastered onto his face.

"Nothing but trouble, _Georg_ _ie_ , like always,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi! this is my first ao3 AND hp related fic, and i'd like to thank you for taking the time to read it! it means so much to me and i love you all for it. i love reading comments, and appreciate constructive criticism, so please make sure to comment if you'd like! i have got over half the fic already written, so updates should *hopefully* be consistent! p.s. most of this story will be based off the books, and might include small excerpts from them. 
> 
> you can find me on ff.net and wattpad under @HerbologistWrites, feel free to PM me there!
> 
> important; this story is focused on Ara and her plotline, first and foremost. of course there will be romance, because that is part of her and her story, but i cant say that is all i will write about, simply because thats not my plan and never was. 
> 
> warning: i do not own the original hp universe, characters, or plot, i just build off of it. all credit goes to jk r*wling for those things.


	2. Appearances

**_Pre-Books_ **

**_1989_ **  
**_Summer of First Year_ **

Ara Malfoy, although conscious that was deeply loved by her family, had always been aware of what a _disappointment_ she had been, specifically for her father.

It all stemmed from the fact that she was the first female Malfoy to be born in more generations then she had fingers to count.

Ara supposed she couldn't be to angry at that. It was understandable, blatantly sexist, but understandable for someone of her father's generation. She guessed every parent had a preferred gender for their child, Ara had just so happened to cater to her mothers preference. And so, Draco was born.

 _At least I had been born first,_ she sometimes thought to herself. Without a doubt, if Ara had been male, her father would not have given a rats-arse about her mother's preference, and would not have wanted another child. So, in the end, at least she had not disappointed her mother.

Now, after the unfortunate case of her gender, a few more unforeseeable, _uncontrollable_ , coincidences also disappointed her father.

Her hair, for one, was _much_ to dark for his liking.

Instead of the characteristic, near-white, blonde hair Malfoy's typically possessed, Ara had been given long locks of dark blonde hair. Locks that were much to _pigmented_ for her fathers taste, as her mother would sometimes joke in an attempt to make Ara feel better.

Narcissa Malfoy couldn't help but feel guilty about the traits Ara had that were constantly picked apart.

You see, Ara had gotten that _pigmentation_ from her mother's side of the family, _the Blacks_ , along with far to many more of their features, for her fathers liking _that is._ From her hair, to her height, to her nose, to whatever else Lucius felt like complaining about. She did not look the part of a 'proper Malfoy', _whatever that meant._

Another unforeseeable, uncontrollable, aspect that would've been horrid, to her father, were her eyes.

Ara had been born during the height of the First Wizarding War, and despite this, Lucius found it ever so important to throw a _fit_ when he saw that his daughters eyes were not blue, but instead deep stone-like colour, much like the ones her then disowned cousin, Sirius Black, possessed.

Lucius was convinced by his wife, then in postpartum, that a child's eyes were constantly changing, and that surely Ara would grow up to have beautiful, icy blue eyes, much like his. Thankfully, she'd been right, Ara's eyes did change to a beautiful blue colour, which her father adored and constantly complimented. They were the one thing he had _never_ complained about.

_A true Malfoy's eyes._

Ara's irritation knew no end when she heard someone say such a thing, her father, on the other hand, would swell with pride.

_What does that even mean?_

But, like a good little pureblood, she'd force on a charming smile, say thank you, and move onto a new topic of conversation.

Ara often thought, only to herself _of course_ , that her father should have been that grateful his daughter took after her mother, with the blonde hair and all, compared to her aunts. Had she been born with the dark, curly hair or the chocolate coloured eyes that her Aunt Bellatrix possessed, he probably would've thrown her out onto the streets by now.

Lucius' nitpicking did not stop at Ara's physicality's, _no_ , definitely not.

She was far to swotty, no respectable pureblood would want a wife who could outsmart him. She was far to opinionated, _children are to be seen, not heard._ She was far too much _this_ , far too little _that,_ and the list went on.

All these complaints seemed pointless to Ara, who cared if she liked to voice her thoughts from time to time? Or indulge in a good book? Her parents friends, contrary to Lucius' comments that children are not to be heard, loved it. Nearly always telling her they had an eligible bachelor about her age, and that she would make a lovely contribution to anyone's family.

Although it often seemed like the critiques from her father were endless, Ara knew he did love her, in his own way. And that way was much easier to appreciate when she was at Hogwarts. Despite being able to find some peace away from her father, while at school Ara would find herself _constantly_ missing her mother, who was always there for her when it came to her father's path of fury, and didn't see one thing wrong with her beautiful _'baby-girl'._

One example of this, in particular, that Ara would always remember, happened the night before she left for her First Year at Hogwarts. The whole summer had been spent preparing, and anxiously chattering about her future experience.

Draco would turn practically green with envy every time he tagged along with his sister and mother to buy Ara new school supplies, but despite this, even he would get sad at the thought of her leaving. He did love his sister, after all.

Narcissa had been particularly upset, she'd become the only female in the house with Ara gone, and on top of that was worried sick her daughter would have a hard time by herself.

"Ara, lift your head," The blonde, eleven year olds head shot up immediately, looking away from the dinner plate she'd been eating off of and over to her father, who sat at the end of the table.

"Yes, father?"

He did not answer, to preoccupied staring holes into the top of her head.

"Did you put a glamour on her hair?" Lucius redirected his tone towards Narcissa, dinner came to an abrupt halt. Draco stared at his food, trying hard not to escalate the situation, while Ara looked between her parents, confused.

Her mother was angry. Not that anyone who wasn't close to her would've been able to tell. Narcissa was _very_ good at concealing her emotions.

"What are you talking about?" She snapped.

"It's darker-"

"Excuse me? Your only daughter, your first-born, is leaving tomorrow and you're worried about her hair, _again_?" Ara copied Draco's action and redirected her gaze down to her food.

"We could bleach-"

"Don't you _dare_ even finish that sentence! Are you mad? You're suggesting we bleach an eleven year olds hair, because it is not light enough for your standards?"

"Well-"

"Lucius, as much as it seems to appal you, she is my daughter just as much as she is yours! She took after some of my family, and you'll have to deal with it already!"

"Children, you are dismissed,"

They didn't need to be told twice, Draco and Ara immediately stood up and tucked in their chairs, leaving their unfinished food where it was. They met on their way out of the room, Ara placed a hand on Draco's shoulder and gently ushered him away from their arguing parents.

Lucius, although a morally questionable character, did not enjoy fighting with his wife in front of either of his children.

Later that night, with her parents yells still echoing throughout the house, Ara found herself sitting on one of the many sets of stairs in Malfoy Manor, she balanced her chin on the palm of her hand while her elbow rested on her knees.

_Lovely way to spend my last day home._

She stared out of a windows in the manor, admiring the now setting sun.

" _Ari_?" A small voice startled her, she quickly turned around to see who it came from, although there was only one person who called her _Ari._

"Yes, _Drake?"_

Her young brother found his way over to her and sat down the same step she was sitting on, together the pair stared at the sun as it slowly began setting.

"Do you think they'll fight like this when I am alone here?" Draco asked softly, Ara frowned, she did not want her brother to be subject to all this anger by himself, but then again, she was usually the source of their arguments.

"No, with me gone? I don't think so," Ara finally answered, clearing her throat to sound a bit less sad.

"Mother will miss you,"

"I know,"

"So will father,"

Ara hesitated for a moment before she answered.

"Yes, I know,"

"And I think I will the most,"

Ara laughed a loud, animated, laugh that would always remind her brother of their childhood. Draco felt a sense of pride wash over him, seeing that he had gotten his sister out of her gloomy mood.

"What've you got there?" Ara asked, finally noticing that her brother had joined her with an astronomy book in hand.

"You're going to Hogwarts tomorrow and you can't read?" Draco teased his older sister, she laughed again.

"Alright Drake, _why_ do you have an astronomy book with you?"

Draco gave his sister a smirk, this would _surely_ make her feel better.

" _Hm_ , I don't know if I should tell you," He hummed admiring the book, out of the corner of his eye he watched his older sister smile a loving smile, before standing up and brushing her clothes off.

"Well then, I shouldn't force you to tell-"

" _Merlin_ , Ara, sit down," Drake cut her off, grabbing her hand and pulling her down to sit again, he was slightly annoyed that she wouldn't play along with his game.

"I have used this book to decide what I will name my future son," Draco said, so matter-of-factly that his sister couldn't help but laugh, he gave her an unamused look.

"You're only _nine!"_

"So? I am prepared! Now, ask me what the name is," Draco huffed, annoyed by his sisters teasing.

" _Fine,_ what will you name your future son Drake?"

"Scorpius," Before Ara could interrupt, Draco raised his hand up to silence her "- _Because_ , it is the constellation right next to Ara, so he will always be close to you," Her brother explained, looking a little embarrassed by his cheesiness.

Ara felt her eyes water a little. Draco had always been a sweet boy. She leaned over and gave her little brother a tight hug.

"Thank you Drake, Scorpius is a wonderful name," She whispered softly, not letting her brother go.

" _Ugh_ , Ara! Let me go! It was supposed to be a surprise, I only told you to make you feel better!" He grumbled, trying to pry away from his big sisters death grip.

She just laughed and hugged him tighter.

"What if you have a daughter, Drake?"

Ara pulled back to watch her brothers reaction. He paused for a moment, before quickly opening his book and leafing through the pages.

" _Uhhh_ , Norma?" He offered, another constellation near Ara's namesake.

The siblings both immediately made a face, and shared a look.

"If you have a daughter, name her whatever your wife would like," Ara said quickly, Draco let out a relived sigh upon realizing she didn't expect him to name his daughter _Norma._

"-Anything _but_ Norma, that is," She mumbled under her breath, but Draco heard her, and started giggling.

He'd miss his sister dearly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope you enjoyed the first chapter! don't forget to comment and leave kudos! have a lovely day.


	3. First Impressions

**_Pre-Books_ **

**_September 1st 1989_ **  
**_First Year_ **

"Where's father?"

_Surely his anger about my hair isn't enough to keep him from saying goodbye?_

Narcissa's mouth formed into a tight line at the question. She squeezed Draco's hand in an attempt to calm her self down while standing across from Ara. She hated that she'd have to explain this to her daughter.

"Ara, _dear_ , he was busy-" She began, sounding _very_ solemn. Ara bit the inside her of her cheek and tuned out any excuse her mother was making for her father's behaviour.

She couldn't believe he was _actually_ going to miss this.

"-Not to busy to bid my child farewell," Narcissa, Draco, and Ara's heads snapped over to the voice.

Ara's smiled so widely, that her cheeks began to hurt, but she was too happy to let it fall.

_He'd made it._

Draco immediately felt a sense of pride. He'd always seen his father as a role model, and Lucius missing Ara's last moment before Hogwarts rubbed Draco the wrong way. But he was here now, and that made up for it.

Narcissa gave her husband an unamused look, although deep down she was over the moon that he'd done the bare minimum and came to say goodbye to his daughter. She hadn't the slightest idea on how she would even begin to make it up to Ara if her own father couldn't come say goodbye to her.

Lucius went down onto one knee, so that he was at eye level with his daughter.

"I expect you to behave appropriately at Hogwarts, I think you'll take quite a liking to the place, write home to your mother when you can, you know how emotional she gets about the thought of you gone," Lucius paused and threw a glance over to his wife, "-Slytherin will be blessed to have you as a new addition, and I will miss you," He mumbled the last part.

"Thank you, father," Ara's smile faltered slightly as she nodded along attentively, it was not the most heartfelt goodbye, but nonetheless it was still a goodbye.

Lucius proceeded to give her a small, tight, smile and a pat on the shoulder, which made her aware that he would _indeed_ miss her. He then stood up, and made way for his wife and son to say their respective goodbyes.

Purebloods were _not_ big on public displays of affection. Which explained Lucius' behaviour. Fortunately, Narcissa was willing to overlook the tradition, for this situation at least. She had hugged her daughter tightly, much to Ara's surprise, and began whispering a string of well-wishes.

"You'll do amazing, and it doesn't matter if you don't get sorted into Slytherin, we'll be proud either way," She whispered the last part, giving her daughter a quick kiss on the cheek, and then pulling away. Narcissa proceeded to look up, and wipe away tears that had yet to fall.

_Mothers always knew._

She'd been able to sense that Ara was incredibly nervous about possibly being placed into another house, it was a silly thought to begin with. _Of course she was a Slytherin._ But, nonetheless, it was a mother's job to help their child feel at ease. And Narcissa had done so successfully, knowing that at least her mother would support her, no matter what, took some weight off of Ara's shoulders.

Next, it was Draco's turn to say goodbye, trying to follow in the steps of his father, he attempted to stay away from any physical contact, but, he abandoned the notion when he realized this was the last time he'd see his sister until Christmas break, he hugged her tightly.

"Have fun, try not to be so swotty once you get there, you might be labeled a nerd and make no friends," Draco teased once he let go of his sister.

Ara gasped and pinched her brothers wrist.

"Ow!"

"I am _not_ swotty!"

"You are,"

"Enough, no fighting," Narcissa groaned while pulling back her son, Draco giggled softly, while Ara shook her head and smiled at her little brother.

_Prat._

"You've got your ticket?" Lucius asked, after taking a look at his pocket watch and realizing it was time for his daughter to leave.

Ara nodded.

"All your things?" Her mother added.

Ara, looking at the cart beside her filled with suitcases, nodded.

"Do you need any help getting them-" Both Draco and Lucius began.

"No!" Ara, realizing she was _actually_ about to leave _,_ replied excitedly. Her family chuckled at her softly.

"Off you go then!"

* * *

"George!"

"Fred! What?" The twin asked, mimicking his brothers tone.

"Look!" Fred stopped George as the pair were exploring the Hogwarts express together. He pulled his brother back to take a look at what he'd seen.

"What?"

"She's pretty, don't you think?" Fred asked, not even looking at his brother as he peered into one of the train compartments, in which a pretty girl with _long_ blonde hair sat alone.

"Yeah, I'd say so,"

"Let's talk to her then!"

"What!?"

Fred rolled his eyes at his brothers dismay, a pretty girl, all alone? Surely she was in need of some friends.

"Hello there!" Fred didn't bother warning his brother before he slammed the compartment door open, the blonde girls head snapped away from the window and over to them.

 _"Hi?"_ She replied, as though it was a question, Fred tried to hide his smirk.

"I'm Fred Weasley," He paused and looked back towards his brother, who looked a little _to_ pale, "And that ball of nerves is-"

"I'm George Weasley," George cut him off with a sigh, upon realizing there was no turning back from what his brother had already done he walked into the compartment too. Making sure to close the door behind him.

"Fred and George," She repeated looking between them, a small smile playing onto her lips, "-Well, Fred and George, it's a pleasure to meet you, my name is Ara,"

Ara had heard her father complain about the Weasley family a few times. But then again, her father complained about everything. And these two boys, who were obviously twins, seemed like _fun._

"Beautiful name,"

"Indeed, like the constellation?"

Ara giggled at their antics, she nodded.

"Yes, and thank you,"

"So then, what's a girl like you doing sitting all alone?" The twin, that she assumed was Fred, asked cheekily.

"Well, I'm a First Year so-"

"What a coincidence! So are we!" The same twin interrupted, Ara laughed at his excitement.

"We'll probably be placed in Gryffindor, we come from a family of them," Fred continued chattering.

"What about you? Unless you're muggleborn," The other twin, George, added.

Ara's father complained a great deal about _muggleborns_. Which Ara and her mother both found funny, but the two female Malfoy's kept that a secret. Only complaining and poking fun at Ara's fathers obsessive ' _dislike_ ' when they were alone.

"-Which is, _of course_ , fine!" Fred continued.

Ara raised her eyebrows, she'd never been mistaken for being muggleborn before. She tried to hold back her smirk.

_If only they knew, a muggleborn? They'd die of hysteria when they learned my last name._

"Actually, I'm a-"

"Ara!"

The three First Years snapped their head over to the compartment door, where an older looking girl, who was _definitely_ in Slytherin, stood.

"Oh, hello Claudette," Ara smiled politely, although deep down she was slightly annoyed that her fathers colleagues daughter had interrupted the conversation.

"Mr Malfoy asked me to introduce you to some Slytherins, I've been looking for you all over,"

The twins heads snapped over to each other at the sound of the name ' _Malfoy'._

Ara feigned a surprised look. She'd been actively avoiding Claudette, from the moment she'd first seen her to, _well_ , now. She'd heard Lucius asking Claudette's father to have the older girl show Ara around, but the blonde hadn't been in the mood for that.

"Really? My apologies, I had _no_ idea, but I should've guessed though, father is always keen on me meeting new people," Ara, out of the corner of her eye, noticed the twins mouths fall open in realization. She smirked, _their faces were to funny,_ she wished she had a camera on her.

"Yeah well, not _these_ kinds of people," Claudette eyed the gingers, finally noticing their presences, "You two are definitely Weasleys, and definitely related to _Percy,_ " Claudette sneered, "-Come Ara, if they're anything like their _brother_ they'll probably tell on you for breathing incorrectly,"

The twins suddenly seemed, unsurprisingly, insulted, and Ara immediately felt guilty. Letting her welcoming smile fall, she proceeded to stand up and brush her clothes off.

"That is no way to speak about someone, _or_ their family, in their presence," Just because someone was a pureblood did _not_ mean they had manners, _clearly_ , "My apologies," Ara smiled kindly at the two boys. Before they had a chance to say anything back, Claudette spoke up again.

"Ara, come on. I'll introduce you to Adrian Pucey and his friends, they're in your year, and much _better_ company." She hissed out slowly, as if talking to a child.

Ara took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

"And how would you know that they're better company? Besides, I already _know_ Adrian, and I'd wager I know his friends too," She hummed, trying to hide her anger, and irritation, the best she could.

"Then _what_ are you doing here?" Claudette asked, quite rudely at that. She was speaking to the Ara as if she was _stupid_.

Ara did _not_ appreciate being spoken to as if she was stupid.

She snapped her head over to the older girl, and she blinked a few times, appalled by the audacity she had, and her lack of simple _manners_.

"Excuse me?"

Claudette, realizing her mistake, suddenly looked frightened, and with good reason. Ara was no longer amusing her antics, and had turned that usually charming, _polite_ , personality she had off. The Malfoy's were a _powerful_ and _influential_ family, having even one of them angry at you was not a favourable situation.

"I just meant-"

"Never mind what you _meant_ , let's just leave, before you make a bigger _fool_ of yourself then you already have, _hm_?" Ara offered passive aggressively, not wanting either of the boys she had just met to be ridiculed anymore, _or witness her angry._

Claudette mumbled something in agreement before quickly walking out of the compartment, clearly expecting Ara to follow. And with a shake of her head and deep breath, she did.

"I am truly sorry about that. It was a pleasure meeting you both," Ara spoke as she walked towards the door, "-Goodbye Fred, Goodbye George," She turned around before exiting the compartment, giving each boy a smile, and then shutting the door behind her.

The two Weasley's stared at the place she'd just been standing, shocked to say the least.

"Georgie, what was that?"

"I haven't the slightest idea, Freddie,"

Silence followed for a few moments.

"You know, she got our names right,"

" _Yeah_ , I know,"


	4. New Friends

**_Pre-Books_ **

**_September 1st 1989_ **  
**_First Year_ **

"Ara, where've you been?" Adrian Pucey asked when he saw the blonde walk into his compartment.

Ara shot Claudette a glare, signaling that she was not to say a word, and then looked back at her friend. The older witch scurried off quickly.

"Around and about, I'm here now," She smiled, Adrian made room for her to sit next to him, the pair were good friends, knowing each other due to their parents association.

"I can't wait to be sorted, _I mean,_ I already know which house I'll be placed in, but it's still exciting," Adrian began chattering to the witch at his side, after he'd introduced her to all the other passengers in the train compartment, _of course._

"Yeah, _definitely,"_ She agreed halfheartedly, Ara was a nervous wreck when it came to the thought of the sorting hat.

What kind of Malfoy _didn't_ get placed into Slytherin? Well, with Ara's luck, it was her kind. She tried to calm herself as she absentmindedly listened to Adrian and a few more of his acquaintances talk to her about their expectations for First Year.

* * *

Ara, to her relief, and certainly her fathers delight, had been placed into Slytherin. She supposed she should've felt some pride, but she didn't. All she felt was relief that she'd met her family's expectations.

She sat beside Adrian, as he was so far her only _'friend'_ at Hogwarts, and in Slytherin. The pair watched the sorting ceremony attentively, and Ara made note of anyone who seemed interesting.

"Fred Weasley," She perked up at the sound of the name, the pair had already told her they'd probably be placed in Gryffindor, but then again, anything could-

_"Gryffindor!"_

Ara's thoughts were cut short by the sorting hat quickly proving her wrong.

"George Weasley,"

_"Gryffindor!"_

Ara smiled softly as she watched the two boys congratulate each other happily and walk over to the Gryffindor table, side-by-side. She didn't expect much from them, not many people wanted to associate with Slytherins, but they were an amusing pair to watch from afar.

* * *

" _Ara_ , do you get this?" A hushed voice asked from behind the girl, Ara quickly turned her head to look at who the question had come from.

Cedric Diggory.

Practically every First Year who liked boys had a crush on him and Ara could _definitely_ understand why. Although she wouldn't quite say she had a _crush_ on the boy, she could admit he was _very_ handsome.

Ara quickly realized that the boy was clearly _very_ confused by the potions work Uncle Sev- _Professor Snape,_ was explaining.

Ara did indeed 'get it', in fact she understood potions _very_ well. Partially due to her godfather, the Professor, always quizzing her on his class subject when he came over to Malfoy Manor, well before she ever started school. The practice had slowly become something Ara adored about her Uncle Sev's visits.

_"Ara, what is the polyjuice potions purpose?" Severus Snape asked nonchalantly while at the Malfoy's dinner table, he reached for his glass of water as he listened to her answer._

_"Uncle Sev, that's to easy," He tried to hide his smirk, Lucius and Narcissa had a handful, "-Polyjuice allows the drinker to assume the appearance of anyone they would like,"_

_Narcissa chuckled softly at her daughters antics, while Lucius seemed to not even be paying attention. Draco looked a bit relieved, because if his godfather were to have asked him that, he wouldn't have been able to answer._

_"Very well, what is the final component of said potion?" He asked, surely this would stump her._

_"A piece of the individual who you wish to impersonate,"_

_"Such as?"_

_"A few strands of hair work best,"_

_Severus shed his usually cold demeanor, and allowed himself to show the girl a bit of pride._

_After all, it wasn't like her real father showed her any._

"I do, ask me afterwards, the Professor doesn't like when people create distractions during class," Ara mumbled softly, seeing Cedric nod and give her a thankful smile, she quickly turned back to face the front of the classroom.

When class finally came to an end, Cedric held Ara up to her word, and quickly walked over to her desk.

"What don't you understand?" She asked, while simultaneously placing her things into her bag.

Cedric listed an array of subjects they'd covered, and Ara gave him an amused look. _That was definitely a lot._

It seemed like _Diggory_ wasn't as smart as he was pretty.

"I think you're better off asking a Ravenclaw for help with all that," Ara replied.

She was not a fool, and although Cedric did not seem like the type, she wasn't going to get herself stuck with a blockheaded boy who used her to do his homework for him, expecting her to never object _just_ because he was cute.

"I've yet to find one that can form a full sentence around me," Cedric replied awkwardly, and suddenly Ara understood why he was asking her. She wasn't intimidated by him, or his looks, not in the slightest, and therefore, treated him normally.

She could understand that. Perhaps that's all anyone really wanted. To be treated normally. It was all she wanted from time to time.

_It's why she always introduced herself as only Ara. She was just a girl with a strange name then, not the heiress to one of the most influential families of her world. And, as first-worldly as it sounded, it felt nice to be_ **_just_ ** _Ara._

Looking over her options mentally, she made a decision.

"I'll give you my notes, in a class like potions, they're the most important thing to keep track off," She could use a new friend, Adrian was nice and all, but she knew he was starting to get frustrated always being followed around by a her, he was just to nice to say anything, "-Take good care of them, and give them back afterwards,"

"Are you sure?" Cedric asked, looking nearly frightened while carefully taking Ara's neat notes, the girl gave him a smirk.

"Positive," and suddenly an idea washed over her, "-Oh, and since I'm doing you this favour, do one for me?"

The Hufflepuff, who was the same age as her, but considerably taller, nodded innocently.

"Share those with the Weasley twins, I heard them complaining about their last test scores," Ara mumbled softly and quickly walked off, not in the mood to be interrogated about the strange _'favour'_ she'd asked of Cedric.

To bad he wouldn't get the hint. He followed her as she walked out of the class and around the hallway, easily kept up with her fast pace due to his long legs.

"Why don't you give it to them yourself?"

"Because I'm a Slytherin,"

"But you gave them to me?"

"Because you asked for help,"

"And they haven't?"

"No, who in their right minds would ask a _mean_ serpent, like me?" Ara teased, poking fun at the stereotype of her house, Cedric laughed, realizing she was also teasing him in the process.

"And here I thought Gryffindors were supposed to be brave enough for any task?"

Ara looked up at the boy and gave him an amused smile.

* * *

"Ced, that's spelt wrong," Ara mumbled softly, tapping the top of her quill onto Cedric's parchment, pointing out where the misspelling was. She quickly brought her attention back to her own parchment and continued jotting notes down.

Ara knew a lot of people, and a lot of people knew her, but she wouldn't say many of them were actually her friends. Cedric had become a _friend_ , although she'll admit, a bit of an unlikely one.

" _Darn_ ," Ara heard the tall boy mumble, and out of the corner of her eye she watched him scratch out the misspelled word. She smiled and shook her head softly.

The two sat together in potions now. At first, Adrian, who sat next to Ara originally, said he had no problem the switch. In fact, he'd even been secretly excited to hear that he could sit with a few of the First Year boys without worrying about his blonde friend, but he quickly came to miss Ara's witty commentary and explanations during class. Unfortunately, by the time Adrian had realized this, it was too late, Cedric and Ara had grown to close to switch back willingly.

"Guess what I heard," Cedric mused softly, not taking his eyes off of the parchment he was writing on.

"What?"

"The Weasleys owe their _'O's_ on the last essay to you,"

Ara shook her head softly, but couldn't hide the fact that she was amused by Cedric's antics.

"Did you actually hear that, or did you decide it?"

"A bit of both, _also_ I think they've realized that the notes we've been studying off of aren't actually mine," Cedric mumbled, Ara's breath hitched, that was a little awkward, _wasn't it?_

"Really?"

"Don't seem so scared,"

"I'm _not!"_

"Miss Malfoy! Mr Diggory! Keep your voices down!" Snape's voice called out across the classroom. The two First Years mumbled a string of apologies and quickly returned to their work.

_"Nice going,"_

"You're the one who raised their voice,"

The pair did not talk to each other for the rest of class, in fear of Ara's favourite professor yelling at them.

"I've got to get to the Hufflepuff basement right away, I'll see you?" Cedric asked right before class ended.

Ara gave the boy a small nod, mumbling _'see you_ ', while not even lifting her head from her note, she just _had_ to get this last sentence in. She felt him get up and leave.

 _"Ara_ , _"_ Professor Snape's voice made the First Year snap her head towards him. She quickly finished her note, rolled up her parchment, and put her things away, she then walked over to her godfather.

"Yes, Professor?"

"I have avoided telling your father that you've chosen to sit next to Mr Diggory, don't make me regret that decision," Her godfather was marking someone's work and did not bother to looking up at her, it was a good thing too, because if he had he would've seen Ara's cheeky smile and _definitely_ regretted his decision.

Severus always had her best interest in mind, and Ara couldn't help but love him for it, but _Uncle Sev_ was not a man comfortable with love.

"Of course, _Uncle Sev_ , I'll be good, I promise," Ara assured, nodding her head, she saw her godfather roll his eyes, but smile ever so slightly, he quickly waved her off, telling her it was time to go.

Leaving the classroom, Ara found herself in a good mood. She began planning how she'd spend her afternoon, calculating how long her homework would take her, and trying to decide whether or not she'd have enough time to hang out with a few friends.

_"So,"_

Feeling an arm loop around her shoulder made the young witch nearly jump, she was met with a head of red hair.

_Weasley._

"Why're we using _your_ notes to study, _without you?"_ Another arm looped around her other shoulder and the blonde now had a twin on either side of her.

The three did not have a height difference like the one between Ara and Cedric, instead the pre-teens were practically the same height. If anything, the female of the three might've been about an inch taller.

"What're you talking about?" Ara asked, feigning cluelessness.

"Oh, _please,"_

"-As if Cedric is able to make the detailed notes he lets us copy,"

"-And his writing is not nearly as neat,"

"-The only reasonable conclusion would be, _you!"_

Ara's head felt as though it was spinning, hearing a slightly different voice coming from either side of her, alternating between sentences.

"Why?" The twin on her right, which she assumed was George, asked.

"I heard you both complaining about your grade, and I thought why not kill three birds with one stone? But don't get used to it, I am not your personal tutor or anything," Ara wanted all three boys to understand that, "-Besides, you two are the first new people I met here, that's worth something, right?" She shrugged, Ara supposed that was why she had a soft-spot for the two Gryffindors.

The number of times she'd seen the pair preparing one of their infamous pranks and turned a blind-eye towards them proved that the _soft-spot_ was beyond real.

"Well, _Ara_ , thank you," The twin on her left, who she assumed was Fred, nodded cheekily.

"Like I said, don't get used to it," Ara tried to warn, not wanting either boy to get the wrong idea.

"We won't, besides we wouldn't _dream_ of stepping on your Hufflepuff _boyfriends_ toes," Ara gasped and snapped her head over to Fred.

He laughed loudly, and quickly walked ahead of her, George followed in suit. The twins turned around and began walking backwards, taking in the young Slytherin's reaction.

_"Excuse me?!"_

The thought of her and Cedric together was enough to make her sick. Ara had quickly realized they could _never_ be anything more than platonic shortly after they'd become close.

"Don't worry! We won't tell anyone, _Ara Diggory_ ," Fred continued teasing, while George smiled and shook his head, "-What will _daddy dearest_ say when he hears about his first-born and a Hufflepuff?"

"Shut up, Fred!"

The twins both stopped walking, which in turn forced Ara to stop as well.

"I'm George,"

"No, you're not," Ara made a confused, but slightly _annoyed_ face. She knew he wasn't George, why would he try to convince her otherwise?

"And how do you know?" The twin who was _actually_ George asked, Ara gave them an unamused look, and put her hands on her hips.

"Because, unlike _Fred_ , _George_ isn't as much of a delinquent, and not nearly as annoying!"

"She's got you there, _Freddie!"_ George immediately started laughing, enjoying the 'compliment' he'd been given, "-I'm also the cuter twin, if you need any other indicators,"

Fred's mouth fell open, and his eyebrows knit together, before he began to laugh too.

_Ara Malfoy, not nearly as uptight as I thought._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi guys :) hope you all enjoyed this chapter, leave a comment/kudos if you'd like!


	5. Mischief Managed

  
**_Pre-Books_ ** ****

******_1989_ ** ****  
******_First Year_ ** ****

Stealing The Marauders Map was no easy feat. No, not even slightly. But _somehow_ , Fred and George had managed to do it.

Well, sort of.

The pair had gotten their hands on the map, that was the easiest part. Now, they had to outrun, and possibly hide, from Filch, who was surely fuming by now.

_"What the bloody hell!"_

As if on cue, the custodian came running down the hall, looking left and right for the twins.

Thankfully, they had turned a corner right on time, and had avoided being seen. They ran quickly, and quietly through the hall, needing to get out of the area as fast as possible.

They were running like hell, that is, until Fred saw a familiar head of _beautiful_ blonde hair.

"George! Give me it!" He nearly yelled, his brother threw him the map, and Fred quickly ran over to Ara.

" _Ara_ , our _darling, lovely_ , _Ara_ ," He smiled widely at her, before grabbing her hand and dragging her into a slightly more secluded spot.

_"Hey!"_

"Please, be _quiet!"_ George hissed, while being slightly confused as to what his brother was doing with the Malfoy.

"Ara, take this!" Fred shoved the map into the Slytherins hands, while throwing glances over his shoulder.

"What? _Fred!_ What is-"

Filch would never think that a pretty, well-mannered, _well-known_ , pureblood would waste her time stealing a silly old map from him or even associating with the twins. And Ara was to innocently charming to make him even suspect it.

"It's a special _map_ , that we swiped from Filch, we'll get in trouble for taking it, and now you will too! So hide it, and hide it well!" Fred smiled mischievously, while placing both his hands on Ara's shoulders.

Her eyes widened immediately.

"No! I don't-"

Ara was cut off by the sound of Argus Filch running down the hall, yelling obscenities, all three First Years looked around the corner in his direction, he had yet to notice them.

"Thank you!" Fred smirked cheekily, before grabbing his brother by the forearm and proceeding to run away, leaving Ara stunned, and slightly scared, while holding the map.

"You _idiots!"_ She called out just loud enough so that they could hear her, Fred looked back and gave her a look that she couldn't quite read, nearly _thankful?_

Realizing she didn't have much of a choice at this point, Ara's thoughts ran a mile a minute as she debated what to with the map, until, against her better judgement, she quickly placed it behind her back and under her robes. She tucked it into the hem of her skirt.

_Damn you, stupid Weasley's._

"You!" Filch yelled, finally noticing the lone girl. Ara took a deep breath and tried to remain calm.

"Yes, sir?"

Filch looked taken aback for a moment.

_No one in this school respects me enough to call me sir._

"Have you seen anyone run past here?

"Like who?"

"Like those bloody twins!" Filch had the twins in his office while he was filling out a report request that they receive a detention, when out of _no_ where, they created a distraction and bolted.

Little did Filch know, the twins had been planning this for ages now. During the first week of school, the pair had managed to sneak into the old mans office, and that was when they first discovered the map. They'd immediately realized that it _must've_ been something interesting, considering it looked so plain but was guarded so heavily. They'd been caught before getting a chance to grab the map, and knew they _had_ to have it after that.

"I'm afraid you'll have to be more specific sir. Lots of twins attend Hogwarts," Ara explained politely.

"The ones with red hair," Filch hissed, annoyed by her cluelessness.

"Ah, do you mean the Kendrus twins, or perhaps the-"

_"The Weasley's!"_

"Fred and George?"

"Yes!"

 _"Ah,_ I'm sorry sir. I haven't seen them recently. Why, if I may ask?"

"You may not!" Filch snapped, and then proceeded to leave the girl on her own, once out of her sight, Ara heard the old man begin to run. She waited a few more moments, wanting to be absolutely sure he was gone, before pulling the map out from the back of her skirt.

_That could've been bad. What would father say about me getting in trouble? For helping steal a stupid map, no less!_

She stared at the folded paper, which she now noticed was labelled _The Marauders Map,_ curiously.

"What's so special about you, _hm?_ For Fred and George to go through all this trouble?" Ara asked softly, running her hand over the old piece of paper, she opened it.

And it was blank.

"Are you _kidding_ me?"

* * *

_"Psst!_ Ara!" Ara swiftly looked over her shoulder, to see Fred and George walking discreetly behind her between classes, she gave them both an annoyed glare before turning around and continuing to walk, paying them no mind.

"C'mon, you can't _possibly_ be mad!"

Ara spun around and gave them both a glare.

"For your information, _I am!"_ She poked them both in the chest, "-You could've gotten in loads of trouble and dragged me into it with you! For a stupid, old, _blank map!"_ Ara whispered the last part, out of curtesy, since it was clear not everyone was supposed to know about the _'map'._

Fred and George gave each other a knowing look, before smirking and looking back at Ara, who now had her arms crossed.

"It's not _just_ a stupid, old, blank, paper!" George smiled, he and his twin ushered Ara away from the middle of the hall, and against a wall, they formed a small, secretive wall around her.

_It couldn't be, I hope._

Ara proceeded to reach into her bag and pull out the map, which was in the same condition it had been when it was first given to her. She shoved it into Fred's chest, and the boy quickly grabbed it, brushing his hand against hers in the process, he looked left and right before thrusting it into his own bag.

She then crossed her arms, _again._

"Yes it is-"

"And here we thought you were supposed to be smart!" Fred crossed his arms the same way as her, mocking the Slytherin.

Ara gave him an unamused look, but did not speak, waiting for an explanation.

" _Well?"_

"It's a special map,"

She was getting increasingly irritated by their vagueness.

"How so?" She hissed.

"It's easier to just show you, and as a thank you for keeping it safe, we'll teach you how to use it too," Fred smirked, as if that was the _greatest_ offer to ever be made. Ara gave him a blank look.

_Teach me how to use a map? Comical._

They had yet to actually explain what was so special about the damned thing.

"No, thank you," She shook her head.

Squeezing past the two boys, she began walk to her next class. Ara had decided that whatever prank the twins were playing on her was not worth her time at the moment.

 _"What?"_ George called out, shocked that she'd turned down the proposition. He and Fred practically ran after her, walking on either side of her.

The girl tried to hide her smirk while taking in their sudden desperation, it was quite amusing. She didn't reply as she continued to walk down the hall, with each boy chatting her ear off about the map.

"Ara, _trust us_ , you want to know how this works," Fred tried to persuade.

"And why is that, _Freddie_? You've yet to tell me what's _so_ special about it," Ara finally broke her silence, giving the twin a questioning, yet amused, look.

The trio stopped dead in their tracks, and Fred looked slightly conflicted. Surely debating whether or not to explain the map right then and there. Finally, he came to a conclusion.

"Just meet us at the astronomy tower tonight," Fred said hastily, and then proceeded to walk off, not wanting to be persuaded into telling the blonde anything else.

So, he didn't _exactly_ know what was so special about the map. But, he knew it was special. And he was going to find out _how_ it was special by tonight.

"The only reason we can't tell you now is because it's a complicated, long story. But we do trust you, Ara, please come at eight tonight," George explained softly, shooting his twin a few glances as he stayed back to talk to the girl.

"Get to class George. You'll be late,"

* * *

"This is _miraculous_ ," Ara mumbled, in a bewildered state, while carefully taking in every aspect of the Marauders Map, from Dumbledore pacing in his office, to Snape standing in his classroom.

The map showed what _everyone,_ in the whole school, was doing at any given moment.

"And to think, you didn't want to know about it!" Fred teased, Ara gave him a slightly embarrassed look.

What a shame it would've been if she'd been too stubborn to show up.

"What will you do with it?"

"Don't know yet," Fred mused, seemingly dazed while watching the pretty girl enchanted by the map, "-Whatever it comes in handy for, I suppose?"

Ara chuckled softly, giving the ginger an unreadable look.

"You went through all that trouble, for no reason?"

It had been more trouble then she realized.

After promising Ara that it was something amazing, Fred skipped all his classes and spent the whole day trying to figure out if he'd lied to the girl or not. And if he had, how to play to it off like he hadn't.

Thankfully, about fifteen minute before he was supposed to meet with Ara, George had figured the map out due to an awkwardly placed wand, and absentminded mumbling.

"A reason will come up eventually! Perhaps you'll need it one day, and then you'll be thankful we stole it beforehand," Fred defended himself, Ara and he began laughing.

George stood back, letting the pair have their moment. He was not a blind man. Fred had been infatuated with Ara from the moment he laid eyes on her, even if he'd never admit it.

George sometimes couldn't help but wonder what Ara's parents would think of her _'friendship'_ with his brother, or him for the matter. 

He knew the Malfoy's were not the most ideal family, despite the front they put up pretending they were. Ara made that clear, but in such a discreet way that it'd fly right over your head if you didn't pay attention. George often felt himself feeling sympathetic for her when he noticed it. She deserved so much more.

_And perhaps Freddie could give her that._


	6. Narcissa's Intuition

**_Pre-Books_ **

**_End of June, 1990_ **   
**_First Year_ **

"You're nervous?"

George's voice made Ara jump. She quickly spun around to face him, the pair stood next to the empty train tracks by the school, waiting for the Hogwarts Express to arrive. Their First Year was over, and they were to go home for their summer breaks.

In the midst of the student body preparing to board the train home, Ara had been separated from her fellow Slytherins. She'd made a few more friends in her house, other than Adrian. And they were a good group, but _very_ different from Fred, George, and Cedric, and usually not nearly as entertaining.

Although the four kept their unlikely friendship private, they often found themselves publicly teasing and poking fun at each other, which no one found _to_ suspicious.

"A little," Ara smiled softly, George and her had built a very healthy, honest relationship with one another. More so then with his twin counterpart, who only seemed to know how to bicker and tease the blonde.

"They'll be very proud of you, Ara, you've done a lot this year," George mumbled so that she would only be able to hear. Although Ara wasn't very open about her home life, George had always guessed that it wasn't the _most_ welcoming.

"I'd hope so," Ara chuckled, "-I hope not much has changed,"

"It's been a while since you were home, I'd be more shocked if change _hasn't_ happened,"

Ara did not necessarily fear change itself. Well, she hadn't until Christmas break. When she came home for those few short weeks, she'd been truly shocked by how much things had _changed_.

As in things, she meant Draco, for the most part.

It seemed like being alone with their father had turned him into a- _much less_ sweet boy. He'd been _constantly_ striving to make his father proud, in the most despicable ways. And that frightened Ara to no end.

She guessed that with her gone, Lucius had no one to project his _constant_ bitterness onto other than Draco, and the boy had been unprepared for the severity of it. But then again, perhaps he was just acting up for the holiday break? That's what she had prayed had happened, blaming her pessimism for the thought of her brother turning into a miniature Lucius Malfoy.

_Yuck._

"I'll try to write you, yeah?" Ara offered the redhead, he turned his head over to her and gave her a knowing smile.

"A Malfoy writing a Weasley? Who would've thought!" He teased, Ara rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, giving George an amused look.

"You know, it's not that insane of a thought,"

"Debatable," George shrugged, and upon seeing the Hogwarts Express begin to pull in, outstretched his arms for a hug.

"Take care of yourself this summer, I expect to see you back next year, or I might have to round-up Cedric and Fred to storm Malfoy Manor," George joked, before pulling her in for a tight hug, he then proceeded to whisper into her ear, "-Don't bother writing Ara, I don't want you getting in trouble for it,"

Once the pair pulled away from each other, Ara gave George a sad look.

"I'll still try,"

"Like I said, I won't be expecting anything _but_ your safe return to Hogwarts next year," George shrugged, Ara gave him a thankful smile, "-Besides, Fred might get a little _too_ jealous seeing me get letters, so it's for the best,"

Ara gasped, and then narrowed her eyes.

George had quickly dropped the narrative of Ara and Cedric. Clinging to the one involving her and his twin instead. That one definitely did _not_ make her feel sick, not in the slightest.

"I'd write him too, you buffoon,"

"Oh, I'm sure you would," George said with a wink, before quickly jogging away, not wanting to get an earful from his favourite Slytherin.

* * *

"Draco! You _insolent_ , _atrocious_ , little _beast!"_ Ara screeched, chasing her brother around the manor.

"I'm telling dad you've got a boyfriend!" Draco teased, running around a table in an attempt to lose his big sister.

"You will do no such thing!" Ara nearly screamed, solely out of fright about what her father might do if Draco really did tell him that. Especially if he decided to question who it _supposedly_ was.

"Who is it, Ara? A nice pureblood, right? Unless you're a blood traitor, that is!" Draco called out smugly, as if saying that was something to be proud of.

Ara's blood ran cold.

There was no way her father was already attempting to imprint his _stupid_ blood purity mania on her innocent little brother.

 _"What_ did you just say?" She hissed angrily, Draco suddenly looked frightened by her newly formed anger.

_How had mother allowed this to happen?_

"What is going on here?" A loud voice silenced the siblings. Both of the blonde children snapped their heads to the right, where Lucius stood, looking unamused to say the least.

"Nothing, father," Ara assured sweetly, all while carefully eyeing her little brother. Lucius gave her a weary, _suspicious_ look, before turning his gaze over to his son.

Draco quickly hid the two letters he'd found Ara writing, which had caused this whole predicament, behind his back. He hadn't opened them and therefore did not know that they were for the _Weasley's._

"Draco, what have you got there?" Ara felt her breath hitch.

"N-nothing," Draco stuttered, stepping away from his father, and then shooting Ara an apologetic look.

He had not planned on actually telling Lucius anything, he had only been in the mood to mess with Ara.

"Give me it, _now_ _,"_

Draco's apologetic look turned fearful. He quickly handed Lucius the two letters, watching as he ripped them open. Draco looked over to Ara, who seemed close to tears and felt insanely guilty.

"It's not-"

_Dear Freddie,_

_Dear George,_

" _Really,_ Ara? You couldn't have possibly found _any_ other company to keep at Hogwarts?" Lucius asked coldly after reading the first few words.

Lucius grabbed his daughter by her forearm, rather aggressively at that, and dragged her out of the room. Ara shot her brother one last look, which Draco could not read for the life of him, before Lucius pulled her out of sight. Once alone, Draco began to breathe heavily, before quickly deciding that he _needed_ to find his mother.

" _Blood traitors_! My own daughter, befriending them!" The grown man ranted under his breath. Ara became increasingly more frightened as she struggled to keep up with his fast pace.

He looked nearly _unhinged_.

Ara had always known her father disliked anything that wasn't pureblooded. But she had no idea it had gotten _this_ serious. Or, perhaps it had always been this serious, but he'd just never had a reason to show it.

Well, now he had a reason.

Suddenly in front of a fireplace, Lucius quickly lit it using magic. The fire roared loudly as he threw both letters in, making Ara flinch. She'd worked hard on those. Ara bit the inside of her cheek, to keep from looking upset.

"Do not let me find anymore letters to those _muggle lovers_ in this manor, do you understand me?" Lucius' voice boomed, Ara, suddenly totally engulfed by sadness, numbness, and then after a while, _anger_ , said nothing back.

He continued spewing out pureblood philosophies, _manias_ , and asking ' _how could my own daughter be so uneducated?'_

Ara attempted to tune out his harsh, hurtful words, focusing on the burning fire, and the ash that her letters had formed into, instead. She tried hard to remain unbothered by his rapidly raising voice.

_Be like mother, control yourself, be like mother-_

"Lucius, _stop_ ," An eerily calm voice said, abruptly halting Ara's fathers fit, "-It was just a letter,"

Ara felt warm, comforting hands grip her shoulders, but still, she did not look away from the fire.

"Had it started off as _'just a letter'_ with Andromeda?" Ara heard her father hiss, finally finding the courage to take her eyes off of the burning fire, she looked up to see her mother towering next to her.

Narcissa was visibly disgusted by her husband.

"Do not say another _word_ about my sister Lucius. You will regret it,"

"She-"

Narcissa did not bother staying to listen and to what Lucius had to stay, she swiftly turned around and guided her daughter out of the room.

Ara felt a single tear slide down her cheek as they turned the corner away from the room she'd just been in. She quickly wiped it away and tried to focus on her breathing, in an attempt to stay calm, as her mother walked her to her bedroom.

Once there, the two women found Draco hunched over and leaning against the door. Upon seeing them, he quickly stood up and allowed his mother to usher Ara into her room.

_"Go play in your own room, Draco,"_

Once she heard her door close, Ara turned around to face her mother, who was standing in front of the rooms shut entrance.

"He is a vile man, and I hate him." Ara said coldly, challenging the woman across from her to disagree.

Narcissa felt tears begin to prick her eyes, she gave her daughter a sad look, and then nodded. She had always loved her husband dearly, and she never thought the day would come when she wouldn't correct such harsh words towards the man.

"You're father is stuck in his ways and always will be,"

_And I fear that will be his downfall._

Narcissa took in her daughter's appearance, as if trying to memorize it, before deciding it was _crucial_ for Ara to know this. She looked around the room anxiously, and then leaned her back against the closed-door, to make sure it was shut properly. Once she had done so, she quickly walked over to Ara and hugged her tightly.

"Ara, change is coming, and I fear you and your brother will be at the forefront of it," Narcissa whispered softly, just so that Ara could barely hear, "-I need you to be smart, _cunning_ , and levelheaded, take care of yourself, and your brother, first and foremost,"

When Narcissa pulled away, she held Ara's cheeks in her hands, wiping away the few stray tears that had fallen from her confused, _angry,_ eyes.

"What do you mean?"

Narcissa Malfoy was not, and would never be, stupid.

She had heard the whispers about a certain, infamous, _Harry Potter,_ who was due to start wizarding school within the next few years. She had noticed the _very_ faint outline of her husbands dark mark slowly beginning to reappear again. She had caught wind of the fact that death eaters were beginning to have meetings again, although discreet ones. And she _knew_ that her husband was _definitely_ attending them, if not organizing them.

Narcissa was competent enough to understand what that meant. _He_ was on his way back, and that meant another _war,_ was on its way back. There was no way of stopping it, and although she knew her husband was a lost cause, Narcissa prayed that her children were not, and that they wouldn't be the ones to shed blood. Because if there was one thing Narcissa was _certain_ of, it was that whatever was brewing, would result in a _massacre._

Taking a deep breath, the grown woman shook her head.

"You will understand soon enough, my dear,"

Ara analyzed her mother's appearance, and upon realizing how _frightened_ Narcissa looked, she dropped the subject and hugged her mother tightly.

Ara's mother was _never_ scared, not of Lucius, not of the ruthlessly mean pureblood women she was forced to befriend, not of the bugs Ara asked her to kill, not of anything. Except for, apparently, _this._ Whatever she was referring to, Ara could clearly see that it terrified her mother. And that terrified Ara.

"You know, I named you after my older sister, Andromeda," Narcissa whispered softly, while tucking one of her daughters stray hairs behind her ear, she'd always found Ara's hair very beautiful, "- _Ara Andromeda Malfoy_ ,"

"It could've been quite the scandal, naming your first-born after a ' _blood traitor_ ', that's why your father wanted to, and did, keep it under wraps. But, I really didn't care what anyone else thought, that was going to be your name, and nothing was going to change my mind," Narcissa continued explaining, "-Andromeda had always loved and looked out for me, she was a good sister, and it was very hard for me when she left. But, it was for the best. She found happiness, and love, and I will _never_ blame her for that,"

Ara knew very little about her Aunt Andromeda, apart from the fact that she had married a muggleborn man, and been disowned.

"I think it was quite brave of her, one might even find it _admirable,"_ Narcissa mumbled, giving her daughter a kiss on top of the head.

"You took after her in many ways,"

_At least, for your sake, I hope you did._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow... two chapters in one day that's crazy lmaooo but the last chapter was really short, so i thought why not? anyway, hope you're all having a great day!


	7. Cradle Snatcher

**_Pre-Books_ **

**_September 1st, 1990_ **   
**_Second Year_ **

Lucius did not end up coming to say goodbye to Ara for her Second Year.

The house had been understandably tense since the whole Weasley-letter fiasco. So much so, that Ara could hardly wait to go back to Hogwarts. She loved her mother very much, along with Draco. And even her father to a certain extent. But, she knew she'd feel a certain type of _'peace'_ (and belonging, no doubt), at Hogwarts that she'd never feel in her own home. 

After her mother gave her a tight, _long_ hug, and Draco gave her a similarly endearing embrace, Ara found herself hardly being able to wait for the Hogwarts Express.

"Ara," A warm voice called out from behind her, the blonde spun around and was met with the face of Cedric Diggory. Who had somehow managed to grow _even_ taller. Without a second thought she hugged the Hufflepuff tightly.

"You are a sight for sore eyes," Ara mumbled quietly, not wanting to let go. Cedric laughed a charming laugh before finally managing to pull the girl off him.

"I've missed you too, serpent," Ara found herself laughing with her friend, as they waited patiently for the Hogwarts Express.

"Have you seen the twins?" Cedric asked suddenly, Ara's smile slightly faltered.

"Uh, _no_ , I haven't," She mumbled awkwardly, remembering her father's anger upon finding out about her friendship with the twins.

"What's wrong?" Cedric asked, immediately noticing his friends change in demeanour.

Ara debated whether or not to tell the Hufflepuff what had happened.

"Nothing, my father just threw a fit when he found out I was friends with them," Ara joked, leaving out the major details of the _'fit'._

_"Ah,"_

The pair would always have a soft spot for one another. And due to that soft spot, Cedric felt himself getting increasingly sad for Ara, her father had always seemed like a _strange_ man, not that he would know personally.

"It wasn't that big of a deal Ced, he's just mad I don't share his stupid, outdated opinions-"

"Who's mad you don't share their opinions, _Ara?"_

George came up from behind Ara, on the right side and threw an arm over her shoulder. The girl quickly turned her head towards him and smiled softly.

"And what might these _'stupid'_ and _'outdated'_ opinions be, _Ara?"_ Fred added to his brothers question while tugging a lock of the girl's hair.

The blonde rolled her eyes, and held back the _smile_ that his juvenile attempt to capture her attention had caused.

"Nothing either of you need to worry your pretty, little, red-haired, heads about," Ara crossed her arms and looked between the two boys

Fred smiled and draped an arm around the girl. Ara now had a Weasley hanging off each shoulder. The twins had grown taller over the summer, although only barely, now being _slightly_ taller than Ara.

"Ah, I always knew you found us _pretty_ , darling," Fred teased.

In this moment, surrounded by people who undoubtedly loved her and were able to make her feel her happiest, Ara had practically completely forgotten about her father.

"The question is, who's the prettiest?" George asked mischievously from her right.

"You're just asking to get your feelings hurt with that question, Georgie," Fred paused to look down at Ara, he gave her a wink, "-The answer is, _obviously_ , me,"

Before George had the chance to think of a witty comeback, Cedric interrupted.

"You're both delusional, I'm _clearly_ the prettiest,"

The group of four started laughing loudly. Ara already began feeling that Hogwarts _'peace'_ she had missed so badly. And oh, what a feeling it was.

* * *

_"Ade!"_ Ara nearly yelled once she burst into the train compartment she, and a few other Slytherins, would be staying in for the ride to Hogwarts.

Unfortunately, being in different houses, and circles, prevented Ara, Fred, George and Cedric from hanging out with each other as much as they'd like.

"Ara!" Adrian Pucey smiled widely and stood up, the pair hugged and quickly began chattering.

They had become _very_ good friends over the past year, being part of the same _well-known_ friend group within their houses year.

"You didn't come visit this summer?" Ara commented, referring to the fact that the Pucey's had not come over, _not once._

The two friends sat down together and continued their conversation.

"Yeah, _uhm_ \- we were busy," Adrian replied, a bit awkwardly at that. Ara refrained from raising an eyebrow.

She made a mental note of remembering to ask her mother if something had happened between their family and the Pucey's.

In the mean time, Ara and Adrian both went off about what their summer were like. Occasionally joining in on the conversations that the rest of the train compartment were having too.

"Who'll be trying out for Quidditch this year?" Adrian asked the whole compartment, a few of the boys, including Graham Montague and Cassius Warrington, quickly made their interest for joining the sports team known.

Ara tried to contain her smile as she watched them get excited over the silly game, she thought back to how giddy Fred, George and Cedric were to be trying out for their respective house teams. It seemed like she'd be attending _quite_ a few matches this year, if they were all to make it, that is.

* * *

" _So,_ there's this Ravenclaw-" Cedric cleared his throat awkwardly in the middle of charms class. Ara, who was seated next to him, and Fred and George, seated behind him, immediately stopped doing their work.

" _What_?" The three shot their heads up towards Cedric, intrigued by the Hufflepuffs interest in another student.

He, along with the twins, was one of the _most_ sought after boys in their year, but he never gave anyone the time of day when it came to advances of _love._

"Name?" George asked, taking the words out of Ara's mouth.

"Cho Chang,"

" _Ugh!"_ Ara scrunched her nose together and immediately made a face, Cedric rolled his eyes, already anticipating how the Slytherin would tease him, George chuckled, and Fred gave her a curious look.

"What?" The latter asked.

Ara knew practically everything, about everyone. And although the boys usually teased her for being a gossip, Fred couldn't help but admit he found it _a bit_ interesting from time to time. So in turn, whenever Ara heard something amusing, Fred would usually be the first, if not only, person to find out.

The blonde smirked while giving Cedric a teasing look, she turned around in her seat and motioned for Fred to come closer, she pretended to whisper in his ear while looking directly as the Hufflepuff she was making fun of.

"It seems that our dear Ced is a _cradle snatcher_ ," She said just loud enough for all three of her friends to hear, Cedric snapped his head over to the blonde and gasped, while Fred and George attempted to stifle their laughter.

"She's only a year younger than us!" Cedric whispered aggressively, slightly embarrassed.

" _Mmhm,_ whatever you say," Ara shrugged in a sing-song voice.

Cedric tried to stay mad at her, but that was very difficult considering the fact that she always had a _charming_ look on her face that could draw anyone back in. Along with the small smile she flashed him, that let the boy know it _really_ was just a joke. Cedric bit his lip and shook his head, looking away from the girl beside him.

"She's really nice,"

"I'm sure,"

" _You know_ _Ara_ , you're one to talk, being into old men and all," Cedric knew the only way to beat his cheeky friend was to give into her games.

At this point, the twins began to turn red from laughter. Cedric, of course, had no proof to back up his statement, but he was playing to win, not to make sense.

"I am _not!"_

"You are too, I bet you have a crush on _Dumbledore,"_ George and Fred could've sworn they were dead from laughing too hard, especially after seeing Ara gag at the name.

"That is _disgusting,"_ Ara shuttered, Cedric gave her a wide smile and shook his head, while mumbling a soft _'I'm just joking'._

"Are you too disgusted to come to our Quidditch game this weekend?" Fred asked, changing the subject.

Ara gave him a warm smile while rolling her eyes.

Quidditch had been the only thing on Ara's male friends, including Adrian's, minds since the first day, they were over the moon when they all got selected to play for their respective teams.

"Unfortunately not," Ara teased, turning around fully and practically sitting at the front of Fred's desk, their knees touched while they conversed, "-But, I'm attending more for Slytherin then you,"

Fred rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, he'd never admit it, at least not to her, but that made him a _tad_ jealous _._

"Ara, I know you want to support _us_ more," Fred tapped his brothers shoulder, "-Just get Ced to sneak you onto the Hufflepuff stands, you'll be able to wear red and gold there freely," He teased.

Ara unsuccessfully held back a smile as she crossed her arms the same way Fred did, mocking him in a way. He was wrong, she _wanted_ to support Slytherin. Although they had some _problems,_ she loved her house, and was proud of it. Besides, everyone knew that the serpents always supported each other, because if not, no one else would.

"And who said I'd be supporting you?" Cedric asked the redhead, seemingly insulted, "-I haven't forgotten the way you two spiked my drink last week, I _literally_ just got the green colour out of my hair today,"


	8. Matron

**_Pre-Books_ **

**_Mid-November, 1990_ **   
**_Second Year_ **

So, perhaps Quidditch was not _necessarily_ the most unifying thing at Hogwarts.

"You are an _idiot!"_

Ara and Fred stood toe to toe, in a screaming match, to angry to be pulled apart. Both Adrian, and George had attempted to calm and persuade their respective house members into dropping the argument, only to be met with a _'Shut up, Adrian!'_ and ' _Shut up, George!'_ respectively.

George had quickly realized that he'd have to let this take its natural course and dissolve on its own, unfortunately, Adrian had not come to this conclusion. He'd only stopped trying when Cedric took some pity on him, and made him aware that he'd only be wasting his breath.

"At least I'm a fair playing idiot!"

You see, this argument had stemmed from the fact that Fred was _convinced_ Adrian was a cheater and that he had cheated in their most recent Quidditch game, resulting in Gryffindor losing.

Fred was _not_ a very good loser.

 _"Bloody hell!_ Drop it already! Adrian did not do _one_ thing wrong! Slytherin won fair and square!"

Fred had decided to make his opinion on Adrian, and the Slytherin Quidditch team as a whole, vocal when a few of the players passed him in the halls between classes, yelling out _'dishonest, slimy, snakes!'_ among other things.

"If you actually believe that, you're delusional, _Malfoy!"_

His insults had earned him a few giggles from the _'Gryffindor Groupies',_ as all of Ara's house referred the girls that were _always_ fawning over either Weasley twin.

Unfortunately, along with their snickers, it had also earned him a _furious_ Ara. Unbeknownst to him, the girl had been hidden among the group of Slytherins he'd decided to taunt. She had quickly made herself known, as she was too prideful to let the boy spew bad things about her house without getting an earful.

"Well then, call me crazy, _Weasley_!"

"I'd wager Fred'll be the first one to apologize," Cedric mumbled to George as they both stood among the crowd that had gathered to watch them argue.

"I only make wagers when they involve a few galleons, mate," George shrugged back, neither boy had taken an eye off of the quarrelling duo as they conversed.

Cedric shook his head and said nothing back, not willing to gamble any of the galleons he had on him.

"You're just what your _corrupt_ house needs! Since you're all a lost cause, that no one cares about, not even your own _mothers_ , you've put it upon yourself to become some sort of insane, overprotective, _matron!"_

The whole corridor came to an abrupt stop.

That was, by far, the most harsh thing either of them had said to each other. Ara's angry face had morphed into a nearly hurt one upon hearing the words leave his mouth, all while Fred breathe heavily, not even looking phased by the cruel words he'd just said.

"How _dare_ you?" She whispered aggressively, suddenly getting angry all over again.

George and Cedric had both pushed past the crowd, and made their way over to the pair upon hearing what Fred had said. George, finally having had enough, grabbed Fred by the shoulder and forcefully pulled him away from Ara.

Cedric quickly made his way over to the blonde, and began assuring her that what Fred said was _not_ true, and the he _definitely_ didn't mean it. Ara stared at his taller figure intensely, her big blue eyes unreadable as she listened to him defend the redhead.

Adrian let Cedric have his moment with Ara before he placed a hand on her shoulder and forced her to look at him.

"Let's go," He mumbled softly while flashing her a sad look, and beginning to gently pull her away from the scene, before Cedric could object and say something about allowing _his_ best friend to say with him, Ara swiftly turned around and followed Adrian willingly.

Cedric, sensing that it was no longer his place, let the two leave without a fight. He realized that Adrian would probably be able to console Ara in a more relatable way.

Though this realization didn't make him any less sad.

Shooting the retreating pair one last, _worried_ , glance, he made his way over to Fred and George. Where the latter was whispering an earful to his twin. Cedric took a deep breath and then shook his head.

"You went too far,"

" _What_ is going on here?" A shrill voice cut the Hufflepuff off.

The three boys gave each other panicked looks, quickly realizing that it was Professor McGonagall and that they were about to be in a _world_ of trouble for merely being in the centre of the now quickly dispersing crowd.

"Cedric?" George sounded nearly helpless, as the three watch the Gryffindor head push through the crowd.

"Yes?"

"I'd _wager_ that you're right,"

The three boys took the detention McGonagall gave them for disturbing the peace, and for refusing to tell her why. They didn't utter Ara's name once.

* * *

The nickname _'Matron'_ had caught on like the black plague.

Ara couldn't walk between classes without hearing at least _one_ person whisper it as they passed her.

She supposed it wasn't the _worst_ name to be called, after all, if the nickname was what it took to let everyone know she'd _always_ stick up for her house, then so be it. The only reason she didn't particularly like it was because she reckoned it made her sound incredibly _old_.

Cedric and George on the other hand, despised hearing someone refer to Ara with the name, solely because it was a reminder that the girl was no longer talking to them.

You see, Ara and Fred had both refused to speak to one another since the infamous argument that had started said name calling, and that had resulted in the blonde practically ignoring the two innocent boys as well, not because she was angry at them, but because they were nearly _always_ with Fred.

Cedric had successfully managed to catch her alone on a few occasions, and the two would chat for as long as possible before being interrupted.

In an attempt to mend to foursomes friendship back to normal, Cedric had tried to convince the girl that Fred was apologetic, since he was too stubborn to tell her himself. But, Ara didn't care, especially since the redhead in question was yet to tell her that himself.

Fred agreed that he may have gone a _tad_ bit too far that day, and deep down he did _truly_ feel bad, but he was too prideful to apologize, even with his brother and Cedric on his _arse_ about it. Ara felt that she hadn't said anything worth apologizing for, and had decided she would not speak to Fred until he spoke to her. _So_ , the cycle of cold glares, and stolen glances continued between the pair.

That is, until during a particularly chaotic morning in the Great Hall less than a week before Christmas break, while Fred was stealing one of those secret glances at the beautiful blonde, he'd noticed a _red envelope_ be delivered to her. And it seemed like he was the only one that had noticed, before she hid it.

_She's not that stupid, is she?_

He watched her attentively for a few moments. She made no move to open it. Fred shook his head at her obliviousness and debated what to do for a few seconds, before quickly deciding that he _couldn't_ let her be foolish.

Fred stood up from the Gryffindor table, waving George, who gave him a curious look, off. He discreetly made his way over to Ara. Fred stood next to her while gently grabbing her arm and leaning his head over her shoulder.

"Just open it now, if you don't, it'll be ten times worse," Fred whispered softly, his eyes darting around the room to make sure no one was watching them.

"Shove off, Weasley," She hissed, not bothering to look at the boy beside her and pulling her arm out of his grip. Fred clenched his jaw and looked away from her while shaking his head.

"Stop being _stubborn_ and listen to me, _Ara,_ " Fred whispered aggressively, his tone forced Ara to look up at him "-You know I've gotten my fair share of _Howlers_ , I'm telling you from _experience,_ it's going to be _much_ worse if you don't open it,"

Fred and George had gotten too many Howlers to count in the past two years, and Ara had been present for most of them, she'd probably be able to recognize Mrs Weasley from her voice alone at this point.

"Go away, Fred,"

Fred was about to turn around and let her suffer her fate, but unfortunately his conscience would not let him. He took a deep breath and glanced down at Ara's lap, where she was holding the red envelope. Shaking his head, he swiftly grabbed it and began quickly walking away from the blonde and the rest of the student body.

Ara, as much as she wanted to, did not throw a fit, instead she stared at the retreating red-heads figure, slightly bewildered, before also standing up and beginning to follow him, trying to seem as normal as possible.

As soon as she had caught up with the boy and was out of earshot from any students, Ara began throwing that fit she had initially wanted to.

"How _dare_ you?! You have no right-"

" _Merlin Ara_ , be quiet," Fred hissed, beginning to run. Ara, more confused than anything, watched the redhead turn a corner before she started to run after him.

"Give me it back!" Ara exclaimed once she had finally caught up to the boy, the pair did not stop running, not that Ara, much to her annoyance, knew why.

"Fine!" Fred snapped, throwing her the letter, upon catching it, Ara yelped, it was _hot_.

Unable to keep it in her hands, she threw it back to Fred, they had not stopped running.

"What's wrong with it?"

"If you don't open a Howler it heats up until it explodes, not that you would know!"

This was Ara's first Howler, so Fred supposed he couldn't blame her for not knowing the basics of them.

"It's going to _explode?!"_ Fred chuckled at her naiveness, and then threw the letter to her, needing to give his hands a break from the blistering heat.

"Why do you think we're running?"

He wanted to get this thing as far away from any students as he could before it blew, for Ara's sake, since it was clear she didn't want many people knowing its contents.

Ara had managed to keep the Howler in her hands for a few good moments before being unable to endure the pain, and throwing it back to Fred. As he caught it, he came to an abrupt stop and proceeded to chuck the letter as far away from the two of them as possible. As he did, he pulled out his wand and shouted a _Quietus_ spell on the hall for good measure, hoping that it'd help stop anyone from overhearing the letters shouts.

"It's about to-"

_"Ara Malfoy! You disgrace! You-"_

Lucius Malfoys loud voice boomed through the hall that Ara and Fred stood in, they were both breathing heavily from the way they had practically sprinted to the deserted area.

Fred watched the Howler scream obscenities directed towards Ara, he could hardly believe anyone would utter such cruel words to another human, let alone their own _daughter._ It was much worse then _any_ Howler he'd ever received.

 _"-And on top of that, you caused all that ruckus with that Weasley! You've always been too hot-tempered! Can't you understand how bad it looks? For a noble Malfoy to become so heated due to the likes of some blood traitor!-"_ Fred's head shot over to Ara, he couldn't believe he'd contributed to her earning this _awful_ punishment.

The blonde stared at the Howler as it screamed, her face was nearly unreadable. But, Fred could've sworn he saw her eyes begin to water, and upon sensing her well-hidden sadness, he quickly pulled the girl into a tight hug.

Ara was thankful he did, because had he not, he would've actually _witnessed_ the tears that brimmed her eyes fall. She hoped the boy wouldn't notice the small damp spots on his robe resulting from her silent weeping.

Ara wasn't quite to sure whether she had cried due to her fathers harsh words, or because she was ashamed Fred had to endure them with her.

 _"I'm sorry,"_ Fred whispered softly once the Howlers message had finally ended, and the letter burst into flames.

Ara nodded her head, but said nothing back. The two stayed like that, in each other's embrace, for a while before Ara eventually pulled away. She glanced down at Fred's hands, which were now adored with burns, and felt immensely guilty.

She'd been unable, or rather to _babyish_ , to endure the heat, and that in turn had forced Fred into having to hold the _her_ scalding envelope for far to long.

"Let's get you to Madam Pomfrey's," Ara mumbled softly, guiding her red-headed counterpart towards Hogwarts _actual_ matrons infirmary.


	9. Baby Brother

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning: this chapter includes direct dialogue from the books and/or movies (Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone)

**_First Book_ **

**_September 1st, 1991_ ** **  
****_Third Year_ **

Lucius Malfoy had come to say goodbye to his children this school year, but Ara knew it was only for Draco's sake. It was his First Year after all, Lucius would put aside any problems he had with Ara to say goodbye to his _darling_ son.

Ara didn't see much of her brother once on the train, she had been to busy catching up with all the other, now _Third Year,_ students _._ Once almost at Hogwarts, she'd decided to abandon Adrian and the rest of her Slytherin friends to check on Draco.

Upon realizing he wasn't in the train compartment he'd told her he'd be in, Ara had quickly gotten worried and gone looking for him

_"You're going to fight us, are you?"_

_"Unless you get out, now,"_

_"But we don't feel like leaving, do we, boys? We've eaten all our food, and you seem to have some-"_

"Excuse me?" Ara gasped once she reached the compartment where the voice of her brother, and his friends, was coming from. She'd slid the door open and stepped inside.

There stood Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle, her _curse,_ Draco, and two other boys Ara did not recognize.

"Ara-" The boys eyes widened upon seeing her, and, in that moment, a fat, rodent-like creature bit into Gregory's finger as he was reaching for a sweet, _that clearly did not belong to him._

 _"Salazar's sake_ ," Ara covered her mouth at the scene.

She watched in shock as the boy screamed and began thrashing his hand around. When the _rat_ finally let go of Greg, it was, in turn, flung into the train compartment window with a _thud_.

 _"What's going on?"_ A small, bushy haired witch burst into the compartment, and stood next to Ara.

The blonde Third Year shot her a curious look, but then brought her attention back to a more pressing matter, which was the commotion her brother and his friends had caused.

Once free of the rat, Gregory fearfully turned to Ara. The girl knew his mother, and well at that, he was scared stiff she'd write her about this.

"It bit me so hard-" He tried to save his arse by feigning being hurt.

"Serves you right!" Ara hissed, feeling no sympathy for the boy as he tried to use the injured card to get out of the earful she was about to give him, "-All three of you, you should be _ashamed_ of yourselves! You haven't even stepped foot in Hogwarts and are already causing trouble! Scram to your own compartment, _now!"_

"But-"

_"Shoo!"_

The three boys scampered off, rightfully ashamed to have been caught misbehaving by the older girl.

Draco, who was stuck behind his two friends, was the last to leave the compartment, he hoped Ara would let him go without causing any further embarrassment. That, _unfortunately_ , was not the case. His sister grabbed his shoulder, stopping him just before he left.

"And you, _little boy_ , you should know better than to be picking fights! Do not let me catch you misbehaving again or you'll get the hexing of your life!"

"But _Ari-"_ The boy nearly whined and then abruptly stopped, turning a few shades pinker as he glanced back at the three strangers in the compartment.

"What? To grown up to call your sister by her nickname?" She teased softly, just so that he could hear her, and before Draco could saying anything back, she gently pushed him out of the compartment.

Shaking her head, Ara turned back to the two boys left. One had raven hair, and the other was a redhead. She shot the only other girl in the compartment, who was still standing beside her, a glance as well.

They all stared at her curiously.

"Now you two, don't think you're off the hook! What was all that commotion about?" Ara asked, crossing her arms.

The two boys glanced at each other nervously and began to stutter. Ara rolled her eyes and looked over each boy as they tried to come up with an explanation, she suddenly came to a realization upon analyzing the redhead.

" _Ronald?"_ Ara dropped her cold demeanour when he nodded, unfolding her arms, she began to laugh.

"So _you're_ the blessing then?" She joked, although the boy did not understand what that meant, "-I assumed you'd look a bit more like the twins. But, I guess you took after some other Weasley?"

"Actually, everyone tells me I look like Charlie," Ron mumbled awkwardly, Ara smiled widely.

Ron was much more timid than she remembered the twins being during their First Year, but then again, maybe he was just intimidating to be talking to an upperclassman?

" _Ah huh_ , he was quite a bit older than me, but if my memory is accurate then I do believe that's correct," Ara nodded.

She'd never interacted with Charlie Weasley much, he was a Gryffindor, and _much_ older than her, so she'd never had much of a reason to. But from what she remembered, he was kind, Quidditch crazed, and one of the few people who could out-tease the twins. She chuckled under her breath, remembering the shenanigans the Weasley siblings, including the second oldest, got into together.

"He's in Romania right now, he's researching-" Ronald began to rant, the raven haired boy beside him gave him an awkward look, while the bushy haired girl next to Ara seemed more confused than anything.

Ara nodded along and let the boy finish his story about his older brother, although she already knew practically everything he'd told her due to the twins.

"Quite interesting, now I take it he, _Freddie_ and _Georgie,_ have told you about how painful the sorting ceremony is?" Ara mused, crossing her arms and holding back a smirk.

If she knew Fred and George, she knew they'd try to pull some trick on their younger brother.

Ron's eyes widened upon hearing Ara say _'sorting ceremony'_ and _'painful'_ in the same sentence. He'd thought his brothers had just been trying to scare him with the story of how much being sorted hurt, but perhaps it was true?

_Must be, if this pretty, older witch was saying it was._

Ara shook her head once she sensed Ron's fear, and decided to pull his leg.

"They weren't joking, you know, I think I'd rather _die_ then have to go through it again," All three First Years in the compartment gave each other panicked looks.

That is, until Ara laughed that loud laugh of hers.

"You'll be fine, _don't worry!"_ Ara assured, dropping the frightening act, "-It's nothing you can't handle, you're all here for a reason, after all!"

Ara shoot each of the three First Years a warm look, before softly laughing to herself once more, she went to walk out of the compartment.

_"Wait!"_

Ara stopped in her tracks and turned her head, the raven haired boy, who, she now noticed happened to have bright green eyes, had called her.

"Yes?"

"What house are you in?" He asked, almost timidly.

Ara laughed again and shook her head, she gave him a small, closed mouth, smile.

"Take a guess," She said smugly, giving the First Year a wink before walking out of the compartment.

The trio stared at the spot where she'd been standing, bewildered.

_"Draco Lucius Malfoy! Stop that at once!"_

Upon hearing her shriek, the three eleven year olds snapped out of their dazed state and gave each other confused looks.

"Who was _that?"_ Harry Potter, or the raven haired boy, as Ara referred to him as, asked curiously.

"I'm not quite sure," Ronald mumbled, "-But, I'm pretty sure it's Ara Malfoy, the twins talk about her quite a bit, Fred the most, but he always says it's because she's fun to tease,"

"Who could possibly find a way to tease _her?"_ The bushy haired girl, Hermione Granger, asked, while in clear admiration of the older witch she'd just been in the presence of.

"I always thought that it was rubbish, and he just said it to stop us from thinking he liked her," Ron shrugged, "-It didn't work though, it's sort of an inside joke now, that he's- _like_ in love with her,"

"I would be too," Harry whispered, dazed.

She was no doubt one of the prettiest girls he'd ever seen, and she wasn't even _mean!_

"She's to old for you, mate," Ron shook his head, before placing his attention onto Hermione, and asking her what business she had in their compartment.

* * *

Ara quickly learned that the raven haired, bright green-eyed boy, that had been particularly curious about what house she was in, was Harry Potter.

 _The_ Harry Potter.

In the nicest way possible, she'd expected _more._

He'd been a small, confused boy, who'd fallen pray to her menacing little brother. Not in any sense what she guessed _'the Chosen One'_ would be like. In fact, she hadn't even believed it was really him until the twins managed to get him to show her his scar, which had been quite awkward.

_"Ara! Ara! Stop!" The blonde Slytherin quickly spun towards where her name was being called hysterically._

_Was someone dying?_

_No. Definitely not. It was just the twins, dragging a small boy towards her, he looked embarrassed. Hell, Ara was embarrassed._

_"What-"_

_"Go on, Harry, show her!" The twins cut her off._

_Ara raised an eyebrow at the small boy in front of her, he timidly lifted the hair from his forehead, and let her get a good look at the lightning shaped scar on his head._

_"Fred! George!" Ara hissed, pulling the boy out of their grip, and quickly taking his hand away from his forehead, "-Leave the poor boy alone!"_

_Ara bent down to Harry's height, and held his shoulders comfortingly._

_"That was completely unnecessary, my apologies for their rudeness," She mumbled, looking the boy in the eyes as she spoke._

_Harry was quite small, Ara refused to believe she, or the twins, had been his size in First Year. Cedric definitely hadn't been._

_Harry didn't say anything to the blonde, he just stared at Ara, seemingly starstruck._

_"You're quite nice, for a Slytherin, pretty too," He mumbled under his breath, clearly thinking she wouldn't hear him, Ara raised her eyebrows and the twins started laughing uncontrollably._

_"Excuse me?"_

_Harry's eyes widened upon realizing what he'd said, he quickly wiggled out of Ara's grip, and proceeded to run away._

_"Believe us now?" Fred asked smugly, Ara shook her head at him._

_"You two are idiots,"_

She did believe them, but only because she couldn't find a reason to justify doubting the pair anyone.

 _The Boy who Lived_ had been placed in Gryffindor, unsurprisingly.

 _"All hero's are placed in Gryffindor,"_ The twins would tease her.

Unlike the twins, Ara's father didn't refer to Harry as a hero, Lucius took a better liking towards the word _menace_ instead. Luckily for Harry, the blonde had never agreed with _daddy's_ opinions, and she wasn't planning on starting now.

Ara wasn't quite sure what to make of the boy, she definitely didn't see him as a hero, or a _menace_ , but instead, merely _child_. A _child_ who could rarely stand up for himself successfully, that is.

Since the first day on the train, Draco had been up to no good, and whatever mischief he was planning nearly _always_ involved Harry. Mind you, it wasn't the type of mischief Ara didn't mind, the Weasley twins funny, good-hearted type of mischief.

 _No_ , it was the mean, uncalled for type of mischief, that drove Ara mad.

And she'd be shocked if she wasn't put in an insane asylum by the end of the year due to her brothers _mischief_.

* * *

" _Guys_ , I don't know about this,"

"Cedric, stop moaning about it! It'll be fun!" Fred and George scolded as the three of them, plus Ara, snuck around the school to go take a peak at the First Year flying lessons.

"He's right, it's cold and I-"

Fred and George groaned loudly.

"We'll be watching our Ron, your Draco, and the wizarding worlds _Chosen One_ make a fool of themselves, this is too good of an opportunity to miss!" Fred explained, Ara rolled her eyes but did not object.

It would be quite funny. She couldn't help but remember her own flying lessons. What she'd pay to rewatch the buffoonery it had taken to get everyone in the air, including herself.

"We don't know that they'll make fools of themselves," Cedric was clearly scared of being caught, and kept looking over his shoulder anxiously.

The four leaned against one of the walls that had a great view of where flying lessons took place, but also hid them due the shadow it produced.

"Relax, you're putting me on edge with that constant head turning," Ara mumbled softly, and then shivered.

She couldn't care less about being caught, but she was _freezing._

Ara felt something drape over her shoulders, and she felt considerably less cold. Turning her head swiftly to the left, she saw Fred, missing a robe, but not complaining a lick about the cold.

Before Ara could whisper a thank you, a loud scream forced her to snap her head towards the First Years.

A boy, _whose name she couldn't quite remember,_ had taken off on his broom, zipping past the four Third Years. They quickly stepped further back into the shadows to avoid being seen.

Ara covered her mouth in shock, Cedric had a similar reaction, and the twins turned red from holding back their laughter.

"Poor Neville!"

 _Neville Longbottom!_ That was his name.

 _Neville_ had fallen off his broom and hit the ground with a _thud,_ Cedric had almost left their secluded spot to go check on him, but Ara grabbed the back of his shirt collar.

"Madam Hooch has got it, we're not supposed to be here, you'll only get yourself, and us, in trouble by making yourself known," She muttered, gently pulling him back and shaking her head at his lack of self-preservation.

The twins proceeded to tease Cedric for getting the scolding from Ara, since they were usually the only ones to experience it.

"How's it feel to be lectured by the _Slytherin Matron_?"

"Do _not_ call me that!" Ara gasped, and spun around to the three boys, who giggled at her outrage.

As the four, _actually,_ mostly Fred and Ara, bickered, _quite_ the scene had began unfolding among the First Years. Draco and Harry seemed to be arguing about something, on their broomsticks, in the _sky._

 _"Ara,"_ George interrupted Fred and Ara's squabbling, "-What's your daft brother doing?"

Ara gave the redhead a confused look, before turning around to see Draco throw _something_ , a remember ball that _certainly_ didn't belong to him, across the sky.

 _"Draco!_ You-" Just as Ara was about to step out of the shadows and yell at her brother for treating others property so poorly, she felt a warm pair of hands pull her back.

"You'll only get yourself, and us, in trouble for making yourself known, _Ara,"_ Fred teased, while holding her back from going to yell at her brother.

She rolled her eyes at his cheekiness.

_Using my own words against me._

Bringing her attention back to the scene with her brother, Ara saw Harry Potter rush after the remember ball, with a speed she'd never seen before at that. She felt her anger towards Draco disappear, and be replaced with curiosity. The boy had been broom control then some Seventh Years.

He caught the ball at just the right moment, and suddenly something dawned on the twins.

_He's got the perfect skills for a seeker._

The Gryffindor Quidditch team was in _desperate_ need of a seeker.

"We've got to tell Wood!" Both boys gasped, referring to their team captain.

"And I've got to warn Adrian," Ara quickly turned her heel, on her way to tell the boy that his team might not have much luck winning the Quidditch cup if Gryffindor managed to get Harry playing.

"You will do no such thing!" Fred gasped, and followed a now _running,_ Ara.

"You'll have to stop me then!"

And he did, Fred caught her before she could even make it into the school, he cornered her and then swore her to secrecy.

"Ara, _dear_ , _darling_ , _Ara,"_ He'd pleaded teasingly, but Ara could tell he was desperate.

Slytherin had a good team, they'd won last year, and the year before, they probably didn't even need the warning about measly Potter being an _expert_ flier.


	10. Hallowe'en

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning: this chapter contains direct dialogue from the HP books and/or movies (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone)

**_First Book_ **

**_October 31st, 1991  
_ ** **_Third Year_ **

Ara, true to her word, had not uttered a word to Adrian, or any other Slytherin, about Harry Potter making the Gryffindor Quidditch team, although everyone had somehow managed to figure it out themselves, so she had no need to.

Having given the situation more thought, Ara had realized that it was actually _quite_ unfair.

Mostly because she noticed, even though he had not voiced it, that Draco was incredibly sad he hadn't gotten a chance to join the Quidditch team too. And because she remembered how anxiously the twins, Cedric, and Adrian had waited for Second Year to come around so they could to be given so much as a _chance_ to try out of their respective teams.

Now, _Harry Potter_ , was given a free pass to play as a First Year, Adrian and Cedric definitely wouldn't have been given that opportunity, no matter how good they were. The boy had been given a brand-new broom that he hadn't had to pay for, no one ever _offered_ to get the twins new brooms, even though they were in desperate need of them. Much more need than good old _Saint Potter_ was in.

Yes, it was quite unfair.

Ara remembered how the twins had barely managed to scrape up enough galleons to get themselves proper brooms when they first joined the Gryffindor Quidditch team. And well, technically they _never_ had, but they didn't know that. Ara and Cedric had joined forces that year, together they'd sneak just the right amount of galleons into the twins wallets so that they could afford new brooms without noticing the extra inflow of money. Unbeknownst to Cedric, it had turned into a bit of a habit for Ara. 

_It's not like I don't have money to spare._

"Ara, there's a First Year crying in the bathrooms, I think she might be a Slytherin," Nereza Zabini, Ara's roommate, and Blaise Zabini's cousin, told Ara worriedly in the middle of the Hallowe'en Feast.

Nereza, unlike her flirtatious cousin, was usually a quiet, reserved, in-different girl. Her family was not part of the Sacred 28, but they were respectable enough for Lucius not to throw a fit if he found out Ara was friends with her. To bad they weren't friends, perhaps acquaintances, but only because they were forced live together.

Ara didn't even really have anything against her, apart from the fact that even after three years, Nereza seemed to be _frightened_ of her most of the time.

_I'm that scary, am I?_

Along with that, Ara always had a hunch that Nereza fancied Adrian and was a bit jealous of her friendship with the boy.

"I'll handle it," Ara mumbled while she stood up from the Slytherin table, she saw Nereza nod and make her way back to where she'd been sitting.

Ara sighed and walked out of the Great Hall. She made her way towards the female lavatory.

Upon entering it, just as Nereza had said, Ara heard faint crying.

She groaned quietly.

_On Hallowe'en night?_

Not a moment of peace.

The bathroom was empty, apart from the crying girl, and now Ara. The blonde followed the sound of the whimpering until she got to the stall it was coming from.

Taking a deep breath, she knocked on it softly.

"Open up, it's Ara Malfoy, what's wrong?" Ara asked gently, waiting for a reply. The whimpering immediate came to a stop, and there was silence.

Just as Ara was about to knock again, the stall door flew open.

Definitely not a Slytherin.

_"Oh,"_

It was that bushy haired witch she'd seen on the train when she first met Ron and Harry.

_What was her name?_

Granger! Ara struggled to remember her first name.

_Henrietta? Hana? Hermione!_

Hermione Granger.

Draco complained about her quite a bit, claiming she was nothing but a swot. But he was just mad he was not as smart as her, which Ara found amusing.

"Well, why're you crying?" Ara asked, deciding that if she had already left the feast, she might as well resolve this problem, even if it didn't involve a Slytherin.

Hermione gave her a timid look, and looked down. Ara sighed and outheld her hand, when Hermione grabbed it, she pulled her out of the bathroom stall and towards the sinks.

Turning the tap on, Hermione watched curiously as Ara pulled out her own handkerchief and placed it under the running water.

Ara gently grabbed the First Years chin and held her face still while beginning to blot her tear ridden cheeks with the cool, wet, cloth; relieving some of the redness and heat that was coming off her from crying so hard.

Hermione, for the first time since she arrived at Hogwarts, felt cared about and comforted, by a small, wordless task, no less.

"You know, you're much to pretty to be crying, tell me, what's got you down?" The older girl asked quietly, Hermione smiled at the compliment.

Oh, how she wished this girl was in Gryffindor.

"Thank you," Hermione practically whispered, "-And, _well_ , there's this boy-"

Ara's smile fell and she gasped, pulling away from the First Year.

"You're upset, on Hallowe'en night, with a feast as grand as the one in the Great Hall, because of a _boy?"_ She asked, then proceeding to flick the wet handkerchief on young girls wrist.

Hermione giggled, she could tell Ara was teasing her.

"No, no, that simply _won't_ do, I know you're a Gryffindor and all, but you've got to be a bit _cunning_ , my dear," Ara began to lecture, Hermione watched her with delight.

"I think Gryffindor is _by far_ the best house,"

"With that opinion, I can tell you've talked to the twins," Ara thought back to all the times the twins had said those exact words to her, "-Those two aren't the ones causing your crying, right?"

_"No!"_

"Good, now, what kind of boy are you dealing with then? The jealous type, perhaps? More importantly, what house is he in? That'll practically tell me all I need to know on how to get back at him. If he's a Slytherin, just say the name and I'll be dealing with him myself!" Hermione smiled as Ara ranted comically.

"It's not like that! It has more to do with the fact that, _with a feast as grand as the one in the Great Hall,_ I've got no one to share it with," Hermione said sadly and Ara curiously tilted her head to the left, "-I heard Ron, a boy in my house, telling people that I'm so boring, it's no wonder that no one likes me,"

Ara gasped.

"He is right you know, I must be to boring for friends, when I couldn't even successfully make any at a school as grand at this," Hermione now became teary eyed again, and let out a small sob.

Ara paused for a moment, debating what to do, she then sighed.

"You know, when I started Hogwarts, I didn't have many friends either," Hermione's tears stopped and she looked up at Ara curiously.

"You probably don't know this, since you're muggleborn," Hermione was shocked that Ara knew, and was still treating her politely, that was _rare_ , "-But the Malfoy's are a very well-known family, and I guess becoming friends with me seemed like a daunting task, so everyone knew me, but very few people attempted to be close with me," 

"So, what did you do?"

 _"Nothing,"_ Ara shrugged, "-This school is like no other, it may seem hard now, at the start, but eventually you will meet the right people, you will make connections within your house, and Hogwarts will feel so much like home that you'll be sad to leave when the breaks roll around, you've just got to be patient,"

Ara smiled softly at the girl in front of her and nodded her head.

Yes, that's what had happened to her.

"-Besides, if you _really_ are unable to find _any_ friends, you're welcome to come sit with me at the Slytherin table, I promise we're not as mean as we let up to be, especially my year,"

"I'll try my luck with the Gryffindors first," Hermione made a face and Ara shook her head while smiling softly.

"Good luck then, and I suspect that soon enough your dear Ronald will learn to be smarter with his words," Ara smirked, she'd _definitely_ tell the twins their brother had forced a girl to waste half of her night crying in the bathrooms because he chose to be mean to her.

They were tricksters at heart, but even something like that was bound to make them mad.

Ara left the First Year in the bathroom to collect herself a bit more before she went back to the feast, but she warned Hermione that if she was not in the hall in five minutes, she'd be getting dragging out.

_You simply cannot spend your first Hallowe'en at Hogwarts in the bathrooms!_

As Ara made her way into the Great Hall again, she heard that _stupid_ blundering fool, Professor Quirrell, run in right after her

Ara knew she shouldn't despise him so much, he was her superior after all, but she couldn't help it.

_ "If he's so bloody scared of his own subject, why'd he take the position?" She mumbled angrily as she stormed out of Defense Against the Dark Arts. _

_Fred and George shook their heads at her frustration._

_ "He's such an idiot! I can't believe Headmaster Dumbledore even hired him!" _

_ "Ara Malfoy, talking badly about a teacher, openly, what has the world come to?" Fred teased, Ara rolled her eyes. _

_ "You know that he's completely incompetent! Quirrell would probably faint at the mere sight of something dangerous! The coward! And he's got us doing no practical work! Only papers, he can't possibly expect me to know what to do if- say, a Vampire attacks me, from writing an essay about it!" _

_ George and Fred nearly gasped upon hearing Ara call him Quirrell instead of Professor, out of the three of them, she'd always been the most respectful when referring to adults. _

_"Ara, he's really driven you mad, hasn't he?" George asked, shaking his head._

_"Yes, he has!"_

_Upon being asked if he thought he could best a troll from the Forbidden Forest, the man came to the frightening realization that there very well could be trolls in the forest next to the school, and that forced him to cower behind his desk for the entire class, not teaching his lesson, and mumbling to himself anxiously._

_It had Ara fuming._

Ara stayed standing at the corner of the Slytherin table and stared at him curiously, the feast came to an abrupt halt upon seeing him, his flushed face made a cold chill run down the blondes spine.

Was it possible that something serious had actually happened to the coward?

_"Troll!"_ Ara gasped softly upon hearing that, _"-There's a troll in the dungeon!"_

The man paused for second, Ara quickly turned her head towards the Slytherin table, looking for her brother.

_"Just thought you outta know,"_

And then, Quirrell fainted.

Right there, in the middle of Great Hall.

_ This is literally his area of expertise. Is he not supposed to be the one to deal with it? _

Ara thought angry thoughts as she practically sprinted towards her brother, students screams echoed in her ears.

"Up, Draco," Ara hissed, grabbing the boy by his robe, he was frightened stiff. She quickly placed him under her arm and began guiding her brother out of the Great Hall.

" _Silence!"_ The headmasters voice forced everyone's attention onto him.

Ara patiently waited for him to finish his orders, which entailed something about following the house prefects, when he was done she proceeding to guide her brother out of the Great Hall. His friends seemed to follow her too, along with Adrian and Nereza.

Ara guessed the current Slytherin prefects weren't very good at giving orders.


	11. Season's Greetings

**_First Book_ **

**_Christmas Break, 1991_ **   
**_Third Year_ **

Ara Malfoy, much to Ron Weasley and Harry Potter's shock, had not gone home for Christmas break. They could've sworn that they'd seen her leaving with her brother, and were bewildered when they saw her walking the halls of Hogwarts the first day of break.

They were right about seeing her leave, they just hadn't seen her come back after.

_"Ara, why can't you come?" Draco pouted as he waited for the Hogwarts Express to pull in, he'd desperately been trying to convince his big sister to come home for Christmas, with no success._

_"Drake, I told you, I've got to much to do here, besides, you won't even notice me gone!" She'd never give him a straight answer on exactly what it was she 'had to do'._

_"I noticed last year," Draco crossed his arms, Ara smiled a sad smile at her little brother._

_Truth be told, she wanted to go home, but had decided against it for the same reason she had last year, she was dreading to see her father._

_"Be good for mum and father," Ara mumbled softly, and then pulled Draco in for a tight hug._

_"Mum will be so sad, you know, last year-" Ara drowned out her brother telling her about how much their mother missed her, it'd only make her sadder._

_"The train_ _is_ _here, Drake," Ara pointed her head towards the locomotive that was about to pull into the station._

_"You know, you don't even need to go back for your luggage if you changed your mind, we've got loads of your stuff at home," Draco reasoned with his sister, Ara chuckled and ruffled his hair while levitating his suitcase and walking him to the train._

_"Unfortunately, I haven't changed my mind, Drake,"_

_Draco eyed his sister for a moment, and then sighed, he practically jumped onto Ara._

_"Bye Ari, I hope you have a good Christmas, even if you're alone, I'll make sure to send you loads of presents!" Draco whispered and Ara laughed while rubbing his back._

_"Thank you, Drake,"_

_Ara watched the train pull out of the station, waving to her brother as she did,_ _when it disappeared from sight_ _she turned around and went straight back to Hogwarts._

The twins, and even Percy, did not seem to find her presence strange, but refused to tell the First Years why.

_"It's none of your business!"_

That's what the twins would bellow every time the pair would ask.

Harry couldn't help but think she looked rather lonely. He'd quickly learned it was _quite_ peculiar for Slytherins to stay at Hogwarts during the break, and she was the only one in her year that had chosen to do so.

_At least she had her whole dorm to herself._

Ron, on the other hand, did not like Ara enough to notice her loneliness.

Harry assumed Ron's strong _dislike_ had something to do with the hatred he had for Malfoy (her brother) transferring onto her. Harry did not have this problem. He could easily separate the two in his mind.

The other, more _personal_ reason as to why Ron didn't like Ara, was because she was able to get him into trouble at the snap of a finger. _Lu_ _ckily_ , she'd only done so once, when telling the twins she'd found a sobbing Hermione in the bathroom due to their brother.

Ron would complain about how she had his brothers wrapped around her finger. And in a way, she did.

Nearly every day, during breakfast, lunch, and dinner, the twins would go sit with Ara for at least half of the meal, chattering away. Ron would roll his eyes and complain every time her loud laugh echoed through the Great Hall, but Harry found it quite pretty.

The days when the twins would miss meals, for a variety of reasons, such as sleeping through breakfast, Ara would sit alone at the Slytherin table, reading a book while she ate, or more scarily, conversing with the Bloody Baron.

Harry and Ron were shocked the first day they'd seen that happening, because up until right then, they'd never seen the Baron even open his mouth, but there he was, smiling at the Third Year Slytherin.

 _"I see you're spending another Christmas at school, Ara," The Baron_ _s_ _voice nearly made the blonde jump, she turned her head away from her book_ _and_ _over to where the ghost stood._

_"Afraid so," She smiled widely at him. The Baron returned her smile, although not as widely, and shook his head._

_The pair had become well acquainted the year prior, Ara assumed that she'd gotten on his radar after being one of the only Slytherins to stay for the break, and then, when Peeves tried to play a trick on her Second Year self on the very first night, he'd come to her rescue._

_After that, she supposed he felt sympathetic seeing her eating alone everyday. Last year, the twins hadn't even stayed for the break, so she truly had no company, the Baron had decided he would join her whenever he was needed._

_"And why_ _is_ _that? I know that the Slytherin Dungeons are certainly not worth it," The ghost could crack a joke or two._

 _The Slytherin Dungeons,_ _where the_ _common room and dorms_ _were located_ _, were always_ _freezing. Ara couldn't help but hate it, she'd tried every heating spell she could think of, but for squat, nothing worked._

_"Same reason as last year,"_

_Ara had quickly learn that the Baron was not nearly as frightening as he seemed and was quite nice to talk to. He listened to her problems without judgement and offered advice where he could._

_"Miss Malfoy, problems cannot be solved when you avoid them," The Baron crossed his arms, Ara chuckled._

_"True, but avoiding is much easier," Ara joked, and the Baron managed to let out a small laugh._

Much to Ron's annoyance, and Harry's delight, the twins had managed to start sneaking Ara into the Gryffindor common room nearly everyday since the break started. Clamouring on about how she'd _'catch her death in that creepy dungeon'_ and upon hearing her say it wasn't that bad, they'd laugh loudly and call her a liar, to which she'd roll her eyes, but never disagree to.

The first few times she'd been snuck in, she seemed quite on edge, rarely leaving either twins side, but eventually she'd gotten used to it, and would sit by herself at the fireplace, sometimes conversing with Harry, or maybe Percy, who, much to everyone's shock, never said a thing about her being there.

The reason for that being, put simply, was that the twins had managed to convince him to feel sympathetic for Ara. Having to spend all her time in the cold dungeons all alone sounded awful, along with that, he'd made a point of asking Professor McGonagall if it was allowed, and she'd awarded him five house points for promoting inter-house unity.

It'd be quite silly if he didn't allow Ara to stay after that.

Ara also never caused trouble when she stayed at the Gryffindor common room, in fact if anything, she had been reducing the amount of trouble the twins got into, making Percy's job as prefect easier.

Although, Harry wasn't quite sure if it was because she was smart enough to stop the twins, or smart enough to help them not get caught.

_"And here, we present the Gryffindor common room!" George ushered Ara into one of the last places she ever expected to find herself in._

_The twins had managed to sneak their way into the dungeons, and upon realizing how cold they were, left no room for disagreement while they dragged_ _Ara_ _towards Gryffindor tower, to 'save her from her death'._

 _The blonde_ _looked around._

_It was cozy, and not cold in the slightest. She'd have to talk to Uncle Sev about remodeling the Slytherin common room to have a fireplace like the one here, it'd surely reduce the amount of First Years that got sick upon being unprepared for the cold in the dungeons._

_"What's she doing here?!" At the sound of the voices outrage, Ara went stiff. Fred noticed her discomfort and quickly stepped in front of her while holding her in place reassuringly._

_"Shut up Ron. She's a guest!"_

By the time Christmas Day had rolled around, Harry had been shocked to find he had gotten presents. The three most unexpected being from Mrs Weasley, a mystery sender, and _Ara_.

It wasn't a very grand gift, similar to Hermione's, a few sweets, but it was unexpected nonetheless. Ron had gotten a few sweets from her as well, which was quite ground breaking to him because he couldn't find a way to justify it as _evil._

By the time the two boys, the twins, and Percy had gotten to the Great Hall for breakfast, Ara was already there, with a book. The twins gave her a guilty look, to which she just smiled and shook her head.

' _Christmas is for_ _f_ _amily_ ' the twins had told Percy before they came down, to stop him from going to sit with the other prefects, it'd be a little hypocritical for them to go sit with Ara after that. Harry could tell they felt bad about it.

As they ate breakfast, the twins, especially Fred, kept glancing over to her, but she didn't seem to notice. She sat alone, looking content as she read, _well_ , as content as you could look while alone on Christmas Day.

Harry thought about it for a minute, before deciding what he'd do. He stood up, his food in hand, and walked over to the Slytherin table, sitting across from Ara.

 _"Harry!"_ Ron called out after him, but the boy just looked back and gave him a shrug.

 _Technically_ , he wasn't family.

"Good morning?" Ara said curiously when the First Year sat down across to her.

"Merry Christmas," Harry nodded and proceeded to begin eating with her.

Ara laughed.

"Merry Christmas to you too, Harry," She crossed her arms and smiled, "Go on and sit with-"

 _"His friends?"_ Fred was suddenly standing next to Ara, she snapped her head over to him, he smirked and sat down next to her.

"They're already here," George was on the other side of Ara, he smiled widely at her, and he sat down too.

Ara looked between the three boys and chuckled, eventually Percy managed to drag Ron over, and they sat on either side of Harry.

The six spent their breakfast together, talking loudly.

"I quite like your sweater, Ron," Ara smiled towards the end of the meal, referring to the maroon sweater Mrs Weasley had made him.

"I hate maroon," Ron mumbled, thinking the blonde girl would not hear him, Ara gave him a curious look and chuckled.

"Really? I think it suits you,"

He gave her an unamused look, and then got kicked by Fred from under the table, Ron quickly thanked her.

"Have Fred and George not told mum about you? She would've made you one too, had she known you were spending the break here," Percy said very matter-of-factly, the twins rolled their eyes at him.

He'd been trying to get on Ara's good side ever since she'd told him she knew _load_ _s_ of people working in Magic Ministry, his dream job.

"Why don't you come outside with us after breakfast?" George mused as everyone began to finish their food.

"Can't, have to go give Uncle Sev his Christmas present,"

"Snape?" Harry asked, very confused, he and Ron shared a look.

" _Professor_ Snape," Ara corrected while nodding, the twins both groaned softly, knowing what was to come.

"That _git_ is your uncle?" Ron asked, shocked.

"Ron!" All three of his brothers gasped, Fred kicked him from under the table again.

" _Ow_!"

"He's not a git, and he's my godfather,"

"Sure he's not,"

Ara gave the First Year an unamused look, Harry awkwardly avoided everyone's gaze, suddenly finding his empty plate _very_ interesting.

"Ron, stop it, _right now_ ," Fred hissed.

"It's only true!"

"Uncle Sev is a good man, perhaps if you were not blinded by hatred, and could see past meets the eye, you'd realize that," Ara stood up and shrugged, the five boys could tell she was slightly irritated.

She said goodbye to the twins, mumbling something about seeing them later, and then left.

Once she was out of earshot, the three older Weasley's scolded their youngest brother for being rude, while Harry wondered what she meant about ' _see past meets the eye'._

* * *

Ara practically skipping through the school, she could hardly wait to see her uncle, once at his door, she knocked loudly.

"Uncle Sev! Open up, so I can give you your Christmas present!"

"Ara, I _told_ you I didn't want a Christmas present," Severus said, not bothering to open the door, Ara smiled smugly and knocked again.

"I'm not leaving till you open this door, and soon enough the twins will come looking for me and will be waiting too!"

Severus Snape slammed the door open upon hearing that, he could deal with Ara, but the twins? Well, he could deal with them as well, but they were much to annoying for him to do so willingly.

Uncle Sev, and _shockingly,_ Draco, never brought up the twins and Ara's friendship.

Draco turning a blind eye was what had surprised Ara. She'd had a whole plan set in place for when he'd decide to confront her about them, but that time never came. Either Draco didn't realize that the bickering his sister and the Weasley twins got into was _much_ more light-hearted than it seemed and that when Ara told him she was _going to the library_ or spending Hogsmeade alone, she was _blatantly_ lying, or he simply didn't care.

Whichever option it was, Ara wasn't complaining, the longer her brother chose to stay in the dark about the _friendship,_ the better.

Ara smiled at her Uncle, and he gave her an unamused look.

"Here you go, Merry Christmas!"

The man stared at Ara's outstretched arms, which held a perfectly wrapped present, he took it, while ushering her into the room.

"Thank you,"

"You're welcome,"

Severus stared at Ara for a moment, before sighing deeply.

"Your mother sent me a Howler along with my gift today,"

_More like a crier._

Ara laughed, that did sound like her mother. She could already guess what the Howler was about.

"Why didn't you go home this year?"

"And leave you all alone during Christmas? I could never," Ara joked, her godfather gave her an unamused look, and let out a _tsk._

The pair talked for a few more minutes, until Ara's godfather shooed her out, after he gave the girl her Christmas present that is.

Much to Ara's surprise, it had been a muggle book. A _beautiful_ muggle book.

 _Romeo and Juliet_ _._

Ara had, unsurprisingly, gotten loads of presents for Christmas.

The most notable being, one from the twins, a gag gift that made her laugh right away, more than she could count from Draco, as promised, a good few from her mother, ranging from jewelry to clothes to quills, and two from her father, a pair of emerald earrings, which she was sure her mother had picked, and a gold engraved bookmark, which she had to admit was _lovely_.

But, it was her godfathers present that she appreciated the most. It must have been hard to find, and even harder to intrust to her. If Lucius knew Severus was endorsing muggle made things to his daughter, well, Ara didn't want to think about what he'd do.

_Unhinged man._

Later that night, as Ara read her new book in the Gryffindor common room, she felt herself beginning to lose her sanity while listening to Harry lose yet _another_ game of wizarding chess.

"You're to bad at this game to be normal," Ara sighed, putting her book away.

As she walked past the boy to go talk to the twins, she bent down and whispered what his next move should be.

It'd been a good play.

"-Now you say ' _checkmate_ '," Ara smirked, while Ron began complaining.

"That's cheating!"

"You've got Percy helping you," Ara shook her head, shooting the older redhead a look, "-Harry hasn't got the luxury of an older sibling to show him to ropes,"

Ara winked at Harry knowingly and walked off. He shot her a thankful smile and then defended her against the still complaining boy across from him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy holidays everyone! i've posted like seven chapters in the past three days, which is probably so annoying, but i reallllly wanted to post this chapter on christmas day, so here we are! like always, thank you so much for taking the time to read this, it really means so much to me! please leave kudos or even a comment if you'd like, and enjoy the holidays while they last!
> 
> that being said, i don't plan on updating again until at least after the new year, so until then i wish you all nothing but the best! bye!


	12. Miscalculated Violence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning: this chapter contains direct dialogue from the HP books and/or movies (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone)

**_First Book_ **

**_March 7th, 1992_ **   
**_Third Year_ **

"So, Ara, _tell me_ , who do you think is going to win?" Fred asked, nearly anxiously, as he, Ara, and George stood outside the Gryffindor locker room.

Today, the _much_ anticipated Hufflepuff vs Gryffindor Quidditch match was taking place. Fred, George, and Cedric were on Ara's arse so much about who she was supporting, she couldn't wait for it to be over.

"I will not be answering that question, by the way, try not to murder Cedric, _please_?" Ara crossed her arms and sighed.

Fred and George both shared a look. Ara always got nervous before watching them play Quidditch, with good reason, the game could _very_ easily get violent.

"Can't promise that _Ar',_ we've gotta do what it takes to win, and if old Diggory needs to lose his life for that, I'm sure he won't mind," Fred joked, Ara did not laugh.

"Don't worry _Malfoy_ , I guarantee Snape won't even let them get near the other team without calling a foul," Alicia Spinnet hissed as she walked past the three friends, the blonde rolled her eyes and took a deep breath to calm herself.

The twins gave Alicia a tired look.

"C'mon Spinnet," George shook his head, and shot Ara an apologetic look, Alicia had always had a bit of a problem with Ara, not that the latter minded.

_What do I care if one of your Gryffindor Groupies doesn't like me?_

"You two said it yourselves," Alicia shrugged, while eyeing Ara. She walked into the Gryffindor locker room without another word.

An awkward silence fell over the three Third Years.

The blonde shook her head and formed her lips into a tight line.

"I should go,"

"I think you're right. I need my Beaters to get ready," Oliver Wood, the Gryffindor's team captain, said as he came up from behind Ara. The blonde quickly spun around to face him, and tried to seem less awkward.

Oliver Wood was cute, _at least_ , she'd always thought so. And he had always been _abnormally_ sweet to her.

Ara wordlessly nodded and the boy smiled at her, Oliver then proceeded to walk into the locker room, and Ara let out a breath of relief.

"You're _so_ obvious!" George groaned, Ara turned back to the twins and gave younger of the two an unamused look.

"I haven't the slightest idea-"

" _Merlin Ara_ , just because Ced teases you about liking old men doesn't mean you've actually got to," Fred said, visibly annoyed, he shocked both Ara and George with his mean tone.

"He's not old!"

" _Whatever_ ," Fred pushed past the girl and walked into the locker room, leaving George behind with a slightly irritated Ara.

"He's just stressed about the game-"

"He's just being a _prick_ , like usual," Ara crossed her arms and rolled her eyes, "-By the way, Uncle Sev is _not_ going to throw the game to the Hufflepuffs, I made him promise not to,"

George chuckled and nodded.

"Thank you,"

* * *

Ara made her way to the stands, and sat along side Adrian and Nereza, the latter was slowly becoming quite a good friend to Ara.

"Why is this game even important?" Nereza mumbled quietly, she wasn't very big on sports.

Adrian chuckled and began explaining that if Gryffindor actually won, they'd overtake Slytherin, and _no one_ wanted to see that.

Ara eyed them for a moment before smiling, she _might've_ pulled a few strings with the pair to help them become closer. She assumed that was why Nereza had _finally_ started to warm up to her.

The blonde focused on the game as soon as it started, she anxiously bit her lip and hoped for it to end fast, _with no casualties._

Ara was so focused, that she'd drowned out the bickering she would've usually heard her brother getting into.

That is, until he crossed the line.

_"-You're in luck Weasley! Potter's obviously spotted some money on the ground,"_

"Draco!" Ara snapped out of her Quidditch focused mindset to scold her brother, only it seemed that she was too late.

 _"Merlin!"_ Ara stood up, and pushed past both Adrian and Nereza, she was practically jumping over seats as she ran through the stands.

Adrian and Nereza followed her, Adrian grabbing a few Slytherin Quidditch players on the way.

There, rolling around under seats, a brawl consisting of Ara's brother, Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle, Ronald Weasley, and Neville Longbottom had erupted.

"Stop this, _at once!_ " Ara yelled, managing to pull apart her brother and Ron.

Adrian quickly made his way over to Draco and successfully held him back, a few of the Quidditch players had done the same with Gregory and Vincent.

"What's _wrong_ with you two?" Ara yelled angrily, standing between her brother and Ron.

"He started it!" Draco said.

 _"Liar!"_ Bellowed Ron, and somehow, while on the trajectory to punch Draco again, _missed_.

He hit Ara square in the temple. She covered her face and turned away in pain immediately.

There was nothing but silence for a moment. Ron immediately realized his mistake, but had no idea what to do.

 _"Oh,_ you've done it now,"

Draco and Adrian, along with the Quidditch players holding back Goyle and Crabbe, were livid.

Adrian immediately stormed over to the redhead and grabbed him by his collar, Ronald was suddenly surrounded by big, burly Slytherins, all furious at _him._

The redhead gulped.

 _"Enough!_ Leave the boy alone!" Ara's voice rang through the air.

Ron managed to get a look at her through the wall of Slytherins separating them, her hand, still holding the placed where he'd hit her, was bloody. Ron could see the blonde's roommate was standing next to her, asking if she was alright.

Ara mumbled something to Nereza, and then pushed past the Slytherins breathing down Ron's neck, they all listened to her when she told them to step back.

Ron stared at her, nearly frightened. He had hit her _very_ hard. There was blood running down her face, and along her hairline, staining her blonde hair red.

"They _aren't_ the ones you should be scared of, they will listen to me when I say I don't want anything done to you," She whispered softly, pointing her head towards the Slytherins gathered around them, "-Cedric, on the other hand? Or your brothers? I have no promises for,"

Ron's eyes widened when he realized she was right.

Fred and George would murder him for hitting a girl. For hitting _Ara._

"One of you, take me to Madam Pomfrey, _please?"_ Ara pleaded while swiftly turning away from the boy, her voice was hoarse, and she was beginning to feel quite light-headed.

She hadn't even noticed that Harry Potter had caught the snitch, and that Gryffindor had won the game.

Draco jumped to her side, along with Nereza, and the two ushered her towards the infirmary, leaving Ron behind with Adrian, and the rest of the Slytherin Quidditch team.

 _"You're lucky,"_ Adrian hissed angrily. Using as much self-restraint as he could muster, he walked off, following Ara, Nereza, and Draco down to the infirmary.

* * *

Cedric sat by Ara's bed in the infirmary, she wasn't even laying it in, instead sitting up straight with her feet dangling off the bed as she spoke with the Hufflepuff.

He'd been in quite a bad mood after losing, and upon hearing Ara had been hurt, fell into an even worse one.

"-Ced, you're an _excellent_ Quidditch player, Potter just got lucky,"

"He caught the snitch in fifteen minutes, Ara! _Fifteen_ _minutes_! I don't think I've _ever_ been so humiliated!" Ced groaned, Ara chuckled and patted his shoulder.

Ara, after Merlin-knows how long, had managed to convince Adrian to walk Nereza and Draco back to the dungeons, not wanting either of the two roaming the castle alone.

After they left, she hadn't been alone for long before Cedric showed up.

" _Oh,_ Ron, hello,"

The pair stopped laughing at whatever joke they'd made, and Cedric cleared his throat, he did not bother to look behind him upon hearing Ara say the name.

" _Leave."_ He snapped as he stared at Ara. The girl rolled her eyes.

"Relax, we brought him," Fred and George's voices made the Hufflepuff turn his head.

George was holding Ron by the back of his shirt collar, practically lifting him off the ground. He had dragged the boy the whole way to the infirmary, all while Fred angrily lead the way. Had the latter been the one to be holding Ronald, the youngest male Weasley would've been dead by now.

"You two have always been _so_ dramatic," Ara shook her head. The twins ignored her.

 _"Go on,"_ Fred hissed as George let go of their little brother, Ron was relieved to be breathing without a constricted airway.

"I'm very sorry for hitting you Ara, it was wrong and it'll never happen again, I swear on my life," Ron said, almost to perfectly. Ara stared at him for a moment, amused to say the least.

"How long did they have you rehearsing that?" She asked jokingly, and then chuckled to herself, Fred and George crossed their arms and gave each other a look.

_Quite a while._

"All is forgiven, I know it was an accident Ron, now go back to the Gryffindor common room and enjoy the party I'm sure you lot are having," Ara smiled, shooting Fred and George a knowing look.

Ron looked back at his brothers, silently asking for permission to leave, they both hesitantly nodded and the small redhead dashed off.

George and Fred stayed behind and joined Cedric at Ara's bedside.

"Does it hurt?" George asked, looking nearly guilty as he stared at her bandaged temple.

"Not really, _no,"_ Ara smiled, "-At least he hadn't hit my nose, could you imagine me walking around with a crooked one?"

The three boys chuckled.

"Would've done you some good, made you a little less perfect," Fred teased, Ara rolled her eyes and punched him in the shoulder.

Eventually, Cedric left, and soon, Ara could tell George was itching to go spend some time at the Gryffindor party.

"-Go on, have fun for the two of us, alright?"

"You know it," George nodded and quickly ran off.

"I meant you too, go, you're missing what I'm sure is a _rager_ ," Ara teased Fred, the redhead shook his head and smiled softly.

"Not in the mood for a party,"

"Fred Weasley, not in the mood for a party?"

"We're only Third Years, the older students make us leave before any of the fun begins," Fred shrugged, Ara shook her head and smiled.

The redhead shot her temple a glance, and Ara chuckled.

"It really doesn't hurt anymore, _but_ you should've seen when it first happened," Fred raised his eyebrows, "-The boys got quite the punch!" Ara joked.

Fred chuckled and nodded his head along with her.

"Thanks to me, no less, all those years play fighting," Fred tsked, "-I never expected him to be using that punch on you,"

"Stop it! He didn't do it on purpose!" Ara exclaimed, Fred shook his head softly, he let the girl change the subject, "-Also, fair warning, my father is _livid_ , I wouldn't be surprised if he tried to get Ron expelled,"

"Oh, yeah?" Fred asked, a smile forming as he prepared himself for her rant.

" _Yep_ , guess what else!"

"What?"

"He told me, ' _this is what I get for befriending the Weasley's_ '! Exactly what I needed to hear right now!" Her and Fred began to laugh at the absurdity.

"Does it bother you, Ar'? That he hates you knowing us?" Fred asked, once they'd both calmed down. He worried that perhaps one day her father would be able to turn her on them.

_On him._

"Not particularly, no,"

"How come?"

Ara was silent for a moment, in thought.

"If you were to ever meet him, you'd understand why," Ara really couldn't explain it, or want to try, it was just a matter of how her life was.

Fred hoped that one day she'd be willing to let him understand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey everyone, happy new year! hope 2021 is filled with great experiences and happiness for you all! 
> 
> anyway, little rant time, i write my chapters way ahead of time and rn i am writing the gof chapters and they’re stressing me out sm :/ like they’re rlly long and there are so many of them compared to the other book chapters so im scared you guys won’t enjoy them when they come out, im trying to make them a bit shorter/concise, but we’ll see i guess! 
> 
> also leave a comment or kudos if you'd like!


	13. Summer Visits

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning: this chapter contains direct dialogue from the HP books and/or movies (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets)

**_Second Book_ **

**_August 3rd, 1992_ **   
**_Summer of Forth Year_ **

_'Tick'_

Ara was sure she was imaging it.

_'Tick'_

What else could explain it?

_'Tick, tick, tick, TICK'_

Angrily, Ara got out of her bed and threw her bedroom window open. The incipient sound of _something_ hitting the glass was driving her mad.

She wasn't sure what she was expecting to see, but a flying car was _definitely_ not it. A flying car with three red-heads inside, no less. Fred was in the seat closest to her window, at the steering wheel.

Not that Ara had noticed, but she'd changed over the summer, _got_ _ten_ _prettier,_ if that was even possible.

Fred had _definitely_ noticed, he felt his mouth dry up upon seeing her standing at the window in a pretty, periwinkle camisole, with that beautiful long blonde hair of hers that the moonlight only seemed to accentuate, and those big blue eyes, which he loved.

"What? You aren't going to say ' _hello'?"_ Fred teased quietly, once he'd managed to find his voice.

"Have you gone _mad?"_ Ara hissed, getting over the shock she'd initially felt.

"Certainly not-"

 _"What_ are you doing here? In _that?"_ Ara cut off the boy, he gave her an amused look.

"Yeah, what _are_ we doing here?" A voice asking irritably from the back seat, Ara's eyes darted over to Ron, who looked considerably taller, even while sitting in the car, from the last time she'd seen him.

"Well, Ronniekins here wanted to go save his friend, and we thought it was the _perfect_ opportunity to save ours too!" George explained, sitting beside Fred and smiling widely, Ara blinked rapidly, trying to make sense of what he just said.

"Save me, from _what?_ You idiots,"

"From _daddy dearest_ , of course!"

"C'mon, you're due for an adventure! When's the last time you had some _proper_ fun? Come with us, we're going to check on Harry!"

Ara tried to suppress her giggle, they _had_ gone mad.

"I will be doing _no_ such thing!"

"Why not _Ar'?_ We aren't scared of old Lucius catching us _,_ don't worry!" Fred whispered, Ara smiled and shook her head.

"You _should_ be scared of ' _daddy dearest_ '. He's got quite the habit of using unforgivable curses on intruders," Ara said back, innocently, but smirked when she saw the twins, and Ron, give each other scared looks.

_"Ara!"_

Speak of the devil.

Lucius Malfoy and his wife burst into their daughter's room, in their matching _silk_ pyjamas, worried to say the least.

"Yes?" Ara quickly spun around and tried to block the windows view with her body.

Lucius and Narcissa gave her a curious look.

"Are you okay?" Ara's mother asked.

"Of course, why wouldn't I be?" That wasn't a lie. She was _perfectly_ fine, unlike how the twins would be if her father found them.

"We heard voices-"

"Oh, I must have just been mumbling to myself! It is late after all,"

"Yes, _very_ late," Lucius nodded, suspiciously, "So what, _in Merlin's name,_ are you doing up?"

Ara's mind went blank for a moment.

"Mars is particularly bright tonight, I was admiring it,"

She prayed her parents would not see through the blatant lie.

"Is it now?" Lucius asked, he and Narcissa walked towards Ara's window, their daughter took a deep breath and stepped aside, to her delight, the twins, and the flying car, were _gone!_

Narcissa looked up towards the sky from the spot Ara had just been standing at attentively, her eyes searching for Mars, and Lucius watched her, he'd never been much good at Astronomy himself.

Narcissa shot Ara a curious but short-lived look, before quickly turning to Lucius.

"Yes, she's right, unusually bright," She nodded to her husband, before turning back to Ara, "-But dear, you should _really_ go to bed, you've got a lifetime to watch the stars,"

Ara could sense the burning disapproval in her mother's eye, which made her very aware that she _knew_ Ara was lying.

"Of course," Ara nodded innocently, before walking over to her bed, "-Goodnight mother, goodnight father,"

"Goodnight dear," Both her parents mumbled, closing her window, drawing her curtains, and walking out of her room, making sure to close the door behind them.

After waiting a few moments, just to be sure they were gone, Ara jumped out of her bed and hurried towards the window. Quietly pushing the curtains aside, she quickly opened the window.

There, _miraculously_ , was the flying car. Ara had to stifle the laughter that overcame her out of amazement.

" _Mars is particularly bright_? Couldn't think of a better lie?" Fred teased quietly, Ara couldn't help but wonder where they had been for her parents not to see them, but to still be able to hear her.

"It worked, didn't it?" Ara mused, leaning over the window sill, staring at Fred with an unreadable expression.

He'd always had pretty eyes. Deep brown ones, that went quite well with his hair.

"It did," Fred nodded, leaning out of the car window too.

That seemed to go on forever, the pair just staring at each other, slowing edging closer to one another, _well_ , as close at their respective windows would allow.

"Will you two stop being _weird!"_ Ron groaned, snapping the pair out of their daze, Ara saw the back of Fred's seat be kicked, _hard._

 _"Ow!_ You oaf!" Fred nearly yelled as he whipped his head around, before he could do anything to his little brother, he was interrupted by Ara's panicked voice.

" _Quiet_! Please!"

"Sorry Ar'," Fred whispered, immediately forgetting about his brother. Ron let out another loud groan, to which George shushed him.

"We haven't got time for this!" Ron complained quietly, Fred clenched his jaw and ignored him. Ara gave the youngest male Weasley a soft look, she grinned at him, although he did not return said smile.

"Go on then," Ara pointed her head away from the manor.

"But-"

"It was lovely seeing you Freddie, but I simply can't go, I'm sorry," Ara shook her head. George patted his twins back, signalling it was time to give up, Fred sighed and nodded.

"We'll see you at school?"

"Of course,"

Ara said goodbye to the red-heads, even Ron, who surprisingly returned her farewell. While watching them drive away, she looked up towards the sky.

_Mars was not visible tonight._

* * *

Ara hated going down Knockturn Alley. It was dark, dreary, and she was always forced to stay by her father's side, which irritated her.

Standing inside the Borgin and Burkes shop, she could hardly wait for her father's business in the area to be done. She drowned out Draco's complaints, and whatever bargaining Lucius was doing with Mr Borgin.

Ara walked around the shop, admiring the trinkets it had, until she got to a rather grand looking cabinet, Draco was at this point following her in exploring the shop, but not anywhere near the area she was in.

When Ara had, nonchalantly, opened the cabinet door, Harry Potter being crammed inside was not what she was expecting to see.

 _But_ , there he was.

They stared at each other for a moment, Ara's eyes wide. Harry quickly brought his index finger to his lips and made a ' _shhh'_ motion. Ara blinked at him a few times, before, without uttering a word, slamming the cabinet shut.

"Ara? Is something-"

"It's nothing, Drake, just a boring, old closet, or _whatever,"_ Ara shrugged, Draco gave her a curious look, but before he could say anything, Lucius Malfoy ushered both his children out of the shop.

Before leaving, Ara shot the cabinet one last, _worried_ , glance.

* * *

_"What's the use of being a disgrace to the name of wizard, if they don't even pay you well for it?"_

_"We have a very different idea of what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy,"_

_"Clearly, and associating with muggles, just when I thought your family could sink no lower,"_

"Well, aren't you lot a _bit_ extra?" Ara asked harshly as she walked down the stairs from the second story of the Flourish and Blotts bookshop. She eyed her father and brother after having caught them right in the middle of an argument.

Draco and Lucius shot Ara a glare, while an older man, who she could only assume was Mr Weasley, due to his bright red hair and the fact that his children were surrounding him, gave her a curious look.

_What luck, for them to find each other here._

She stood between the two older men, giving her father a challenging look.

 _"Ara,"_ Lucius warned lowly, his daughter had always been a handful, but the older she got, the better she became at making sure she had her way.

Her _fair_ way.

"It's only true father, besides, I'm sure the poor shopkeepers don't appreciate such, _bickering,_ in their establishment," Ara shrugged, flashing him a sickly sweet smile, she glanced over to Draco, giving him a much meaner look, "-I need these for my classes, why don't you and Drake wait outside for me, _alone_ , while I buy them?"

Ara was a smart girl, she knew how to push her father buttons the right way. He gave her an unamused look, before nodding and dragging Draco out of the shop.

Watching the two walk out of the shop, Ara let out a soft sigh.

"My apologies," Ara turned around, and nodded her head at Mr Weasley politely, he gave her a warm smile and nodded back, intrigued to say the _least_.

Ara's eyes flickered over to Fred and George who had their arms crossed and were smiling widely at her, she repressed her own smile and brought her attention to a certain raven haired boy standing directly in front of her.

"And _you_ , dumb boy, I'd refrain from hiding in anymore cabinets while in _Knockturn Alley_ , perhaps next time someone a bit meaner will come across you," Ara teased, chuckling a little as Harry turned a shade pinker.

"Well, you see I- _umh,"_ Harry stuttered while scratching the back of his neck, Ara smiled and laughed.

She did not notice the small red-haired girl, known as Ginny Weasley, glaring daggers into her.

"I'm just pulling your leg, now if you'll excuse me, I really must pay for these," Ara explained, motioning to the book she held between her hip and hand.

Shooting Mr Weasley one last respectful look, she squeezed past the bunch and walked towards the register.

 _"We've got to buy something too, dad!"_ The twins called out immediately and ran after the blonde who'd just left them.

Ara tried to hold back her smile while standing in line to pay for her school books as Fred and George came up from either side of her.

They'd grown taller over the summer, now both being nearly half a head taller than Ara.

"My, my, Ara, is it possible you've shrunk?" _Of course_ that'd be the first thing they teased her about.

"My, my, is it possible you two have gotten more arrogant?"

"Of course," They said cheekily, the trio laughed.

"So, are you going to get your books signed?" George asked, referring to the fact that all their school books were written by Gilderoy Lockhart, who was conveniently also doing a book signing at the shop.

"Of course not, the line is too big, and I can't see any good reason to do so,"

"I can! You see, I'm certain you think Lockhart's ever so _cute,"_ George teased, Ara gave him a 'meh' look.

Most witches thought that.

"He's alright, but a bit strange if you ask me," Ara whispered the last part, the twins chuckled.

Of course she'd fancy someone like, _Oliver Wood_ , over _the_ Gilderoy Lockhart.


	14. Bewitched Quidditch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning: this chapter contains direct dialogue from the HP books and/or movies (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets)

**_Second Book_ **

**_Mid October, 1992_ **   
**_Forth Year_ **

Ara was starting to think Quidditch caused more problems than it was worth.

She had been unable to sleep one early Saturday morning, which already made her irritable.

When Ara heard the Slytherin Quidditch team, including their new seeker, her baby brother, snickering as the moved through the dungeons, she tried to ignore them, to go back to sleep. But, something about it had rubbed her the wrong way.

Draco hadn't said a _thing_ about there being practice, and that didn't seem like something he'd miss out on bragging about. To top it off, Adrian hadn't said anything either. None of the Quidditch players, most of which she was quite friendly with, had. Which was _unusual,_ to say the least.

Having nothing better to do, Ara quietly got ready and tried her hardest not to wake Nereza up, because it was the polite thing to do, but it wasn't like she'd actually be able to wake her even if she wanted.

When Nereza was out, she was out _cold._

Ara sighed as she pulled on her Slytherin robes while walking out of the dorm.

She would just check on the team, take a quick peak, make sure everything was alright, and then leave, no one would even notice her.

Yes, that's what Ara told herself as she marched towards the Quidditch pitch groggily.

But you see, that plan had quickly been thrown out the window.

_"-No one asked your opinion, you filthy little mudblood!"_

Ara stopped dead in her tracks.

_"You'll pay for that Malfoy!"_

Ara let out a sinister laugh, which halted the uproar that her brothers _stupid_ choice of words had caused.

"Yes, _Malfoy,_ you _will_ pay for that,"

In the blink of an eye, Ara was standing in front of her brother, and in-between a group of Slytherins and Gryffindors, both dressed in their respective Quidditch robes.

Everyone on the pitch looked extremely uncomfortable, Fred and George both made an awkward face and gave each other a look that said ' _he's done for_ ', because if they knew Ara, they knew she wouldn't stand for this.

"Draco Lucius Malfoy, what have I told you about _children_ using that word?" Ara smiled in a way that forced the hair at the back of her brother's neck to stand on edge.

He said nothing back, afraid his voice would fail him.

"Ara, he-"

 _"Marcus,"_ Ara swiftly looked over to the taller, older, Slytherin, he nearly flinched, "-Since when do you hold Quidditch practises so early?"

Marcus Flint gulped, looking like he'd just been caught in a lie, which he had, and Oliver Wood knew it.

"He's got a letter from Professor Snape, Ara," Oliver mused nonchalantly, Marcus shot him a glare.

"Does he now?"

_"Ara-"_

"Let's see it then,"

Marcus avoided the blonde girls gaze while she was being handed the letter from Snape, which stated that the Slytherin Quidditch team was allowed to use the sports pitch today, even though the Gryffindors had already booked it.

Once finished reading the letter, Ara gave Flint a nearly amused look.

"I can't imagine what Professor Snape will do if he finds out you _faked_ his signature, Marcus," Ara mused, that was definitely _not_ her Uncle Severus' handwriting, or signature, "-And here I thought you were smarter than that?"

Marcus gave Ara a defeated look, he knew better than to try anything funny with her.

"We-"

Before he could explain himself, Ron Weasley vomited.

He vomited _slugs_.

Everyone gasped, and Ara, still angry due to a variety of things, gave him one, disgusted look, before glancing over to Hermione, who was standing next to him.

"What're you waiting for? Take him to the nurse!" Hermione quickly nodded and guided the redhead away, Harry helped her.

"Now _you_ , do not think you're off the hook, _little boy_ ," Ara hissed under her breath, turning back to her brother, "-Off to the dungeons immediately, and wait for me there, mother will be _livid_ to hear that you've been using such _foul_ language,"

Draco gave Ara a frightened look, and then looked back at Marcus helplessly, Flint did not meet his gaze. He refused to mix himself up in the Malfoy's business.

Draco scurried off, and then Ara glanced over to Flint.

"Marcus, I will not tell the Professor about the note," Ara sighed, thrusting the parchment into the taller boys hands, the angry tone she'd been using with Draco turned tired, "-But please, do better than to live up to our houses stereotype? You're _much_ better than that, go back to the dungeons,"

Marcus, although older than Ara, thoroughly respected her, _the Slytherin Matron_ , and in all honesty, he was a bit frightened to cross her.

_The last thing I need is the Malfoy's on my arse. Or Snape._

The boy nodded, and without another word, motioned for the team to follow him back to the dungeons. As they left, they all mumbled a ' _bye Ara_ ' or a ' _it was all in good fun, Ara_ '.

She waited until they were all gone to face the Gryffindors, and it was _awkward_ , to say the least.

"They're not as bad you all may think, nonetheless, my apologies," Ara mumbled, "-Have a good practice,"

Oliver Wood gave her a warm smile, one that might've made her blush had she not been so preoccupied thinking about how she'd have to scold her brother.

It was becoming a tiresome, _near constant_ , task.

"Thank you,"

Ara nodded and then walked off wordlessly. She didn't notice the way Fred watched her, practically dazed, or the way Oliver Wood was _heavily_ intrigued by her, or how Katie Bell and Alicia Spinnet seemed to be fuming.

* * *

"Is that _thing_ supposed to be chasing after that _Potter_ kid?" Nereza asked timidly. She wasn't _frightened_ of Ara, per say, but she couldn't help but think she should be, especially right now.

The blonde was not in a good mood.

The two sat at the front of the Quidditch stands, they had been excited to watch the game between Slytherin and Gryffindor, but Ara's happy demeanour quickly changed. She watched the field in a concentrated manner, her expression _screamed_ anger.

_"No."_

That _thing_ , as Nereza referred to it as, was a Bludger, and it seemed to be out for Harry's blood.

Fred and George Weasley were on either side of the Second Year, protecting him from the heavy Bludger the best they could. The heavy ball had _clearly_ been bewitched. Quidditch equipment was not supposed to act like _this._ It was not supposed to target one player.

Ara found herself looking away every time the rogue Bludger would come close to hitting anyone while on the trajectory for Harry.

_Mostly when it got near Fred._

It was going to be a long night when everyone got back to the dorms.

Nereza left half way through the game due to bad weather, she'd tried to convince Ara to come too, but the blonde refused. Not wanting to push her buttons, Nereza left without her.

Slytherin ended up losing.

Ara stayed till the very end of the game, right up until when that _stupid_ Professor Lockhart attempted to heal the broken arm Harry had gotten after being hit with the rogue Bludger.

The Professor had, _unsurprisingly,_ done so unsuccessfully.

Ara'd had enough after that, wordlessly walking through the rain, the blonde made her way back to the Slytherin common room, and waited patiently.

Nereza had found her waiting, and put a drying spell on her damp hair and clothing.

_"It's cold down here-"_

"I'll be fine Nereza, thank you,"

Her roommate, sensing that the girl was not in the mood to talk, sighed and left her alone. The few people who were actually in the common room slowly dispersed, being put off by the near scary look on Ara's face.

Soon, she was the only one there.

After what seemed like hours, the Slytherin Quidditch team walked into the nearly deserted common room. They looked disappointed.

_I'd be disappointed too, if I cheated and still lost._

They stopped dead in their tracks upon seeing Ara leaning forward in one of the green chairs patiently.

She glanced up at them. She didn't look angry, _no_ , _not at all_ , she looked practically _emotionless._

"Did you do it?"

"Ara-"

"Draco, if you don't know, don't say _anything,_ I'll ask again, did you bewitch the Bludger?"

"We-"

"Yes? Or, no? Please, just answer,"

 _"No,"_ Marcus Flint said, nearly shamefully.

Ara finally looked up and met eyes with the boy. She stared at him for a few moments and then nodded.

"Okay, I believe you," She shrugged and fell back into her chair.

The Quidditch team stared at her curiously, they'd expected a little more of a reaction, a bit of yelling, or some scolding. But no, all they got was a wordless Ara, staring past them, focused on the entrance of the common room, as if waiting for something.

_Or someone._

"Go wash off. You're dripping mud onto the carpet,"

The team left to go change, all except Draco.

Ara glanced at him and shook her head before looking back at the entrance.

"Ara?"

"Yes?"

"I'm _sorry,"_

"For what?"

"Not winning,"

Ara gave her brother a nearly irritated look.

"Are you alive, Drake?"

Her brother gave her a confused look, before nodding.

"Are you a good person, Drake?"

Draco said nothing back, he looked down, avoiding his sisters gaze. She shook her head.

"Those are the only two things I want for my little brother, I don't _care_ about you winning or losing a _stupid_ Quidditch match," Ara explained, he nodded.

"Go shower and dry off, you'll get sick standing around like that,"

After the Quidditch team had finished getting ready, they all met back in the common room, where Ara _still_ sat.

"We're going to discuss our strategy for the next game here," Marcus Flint said from behind her, Ara looked back at him and nodded.

"Don't mind me,"

Half way through their planning, it seemed like what Ara had been waiting for had finally come.

* _BANG, BANG, BANG*_

_"Open up!"_

_*BANG, BANG*_

The Quidditch team all straighten up, and glanced at one another, wordlessly trying to decide who'd open the door to these _angry_ visitors.

Luckily for them, Ara had already decided it'd be her.

"I will deal with it, leave me be," The blonde said, leaving no room for argument.

" _Ara_ -" Adrian Pucey started, but he was shut up by the sound of the common room door opening and closing.

 _"Who cheated, Ar_ _a!_ _Who did it_ _?_ _Who bewitched the Bludgers?!"_ A voice, that they now recognized as Fred Weasley's, bellowed so loudly it could be heard through the dungeon walls.

The Slytherins all gave each other worried looks, and silently debated what to do.

"They _didn't_ cheat, Fred," Ara said calmly from the other side of the wall, in front of her stood a fuming Fred, George, and Ron Weasley.

Fred stood directly in front of her, George was slightly to her right and Ron behind them. Hermione was there too, but looked more awkward than anything.

"You're _lying!"_ Ron yelled, Fred and George shot him an irritated look.

"Ara, Harry is in the infirmary right now with a _broken arm_! Just tell us who did it, he deserves justice!" George was yelling too.

"I _can't_ , because whatever you're planning would not be justice-"

Then, to her surprise, Fred began laughing, he laughed a loud, sarcastic, _mean,_ laugh, that made Ara uncomfortable.

 _"Cowards!_ The whole team! They sent _you_ out to do their dirty work, to _lie_ for them!" Fred spewed angrily, looking away from Ara.

"Ara, just let us into the common room, please," George pleaded, Ara gave him a sad look and shook her head _'no'._

"They've told me that they didn't bewitch the Bludgers, and-" Ara spoke softly, trying to sound confident in what she was saying. Fred's head snapped over to her, cutting the girl off.

"And you believe them? Ara, you're _not_ stupid! You can't be that gullible!" Fred yelled, sounding more desperate than anything.

"I do, and I will not let you into the common room," Ara did not dare to meet Fred's eyes, but she could see him shaking his head.

Suddenly, she felt a hand on either of her cheeks, gently forcing her look up.

" _Ar',_ you are welcome at Gryffindor Tower, where no one will _lie_ to you, whenever you please," Fred didn't mean to be, but he sounded quite condescending, _bitter_ even.

Ara looked up at him sadly, upon feeling a single tear slide down her cheek and she quickly pulled away from the redhead holding her, wordlessly she wiped the tear away and took a deep breath.

"Leave, _please,"_ Ara whispered, Fred gave her a disappointed look and shook his head before turning his heel and walking off. George, Ron and Hermione following him in suit.

Hermione shot Ara one last pitiful look before they turned a corner, Ara gave her a sad smile, and instead of going back into the Slytherin common room, she tried to collect herself.

She wiped away any stray tears, and steadied her breathing, once she felt composed enough to walk into the common room, she saw the Quidditch team staring at her.

She looked over each other them, stopping slightly at Adrian and Draco, before sighing.

"I hope you have not taken advantage of how much I trust you," She mumbled, and then pushed past them without another word.

Ara found herself in her dorm later that night, unable to sleep. Nereza was out like a light, but then again, she hadn't been subject to getting screamed at by one of her favourite people.

Wordlessly, Ara slipped out of bed and walked back to the Slytherin common room, all but one of the Quidditch players were gone, Adrian.

" _Ade?"_ Ara whispered softly, letting the boy sitting by the fireplace, which took ages to get _Uncle Sev_ to allow, know she was there.

He hummed in response, Ara sighed and sat down next to him, leaning her head against his shoulder.

"Did they lie to me?"

Adrian was, bless him, the only Slytherin on the team that _never_ involved himself in such _menacing_ techniques, he'd never even been booked for a foul while playing, he loved Quidditch too much to play dirty. In turn, he was usually left out of any plan that involved foul play, not that he minded, it didn't affect his conscience that way.

"I don't know,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *sigh* so, i was trying to add an image to this chapter of a tumblr post that rlly resonated w me when it comes to writing and ao3 but i couldnt figure out how :(
> 
> anyway, the jist of the image was;  
> thank you soooo much for reading this far! it means the world to me :) please leave a review/kudos if youd like!
> 
> i also wanna wish any of my orthodox christian readers a merry christmas eve! i got a lil sum planned for y'all tmrw like i did for christmas on the 25th ;)


	15. Cunning Solutions

**_Second Book_ **

**_Early March, 1993_ **   
**_Forth Year_ **

Everything was uncomfortably off at Hogwarts. And everyone, _at least all the older years,_ could sense it. Even if no one wanted to acknowledge it.

Ara had openly been on edge ever since Colin Creevey, a First Year Gryffindor, according to the twins, had been petrified.

The twins and Ara had managed to mend their friendship back to normal fairly easily, Fred and George had apologized to Ara for yelling at her the very next day, _much_ to her surprise.

She had a sneaking suspicion that Harry Potter, fresh out of the infirmary, had something to do with it, since he had pushed the twins towards her, and then watched the whole apology expectantly with his arms crossed.

The same day they'd made up, Colin Creevey had been attacked. They'd heard while Ara was helping the twins research hexes for a prank.

After Colin, a Hufflepuff Second Year, Justin Finch-Fletchley, named by Cedric, had been attacked.

Ara forbade Draco from going anywhere alone after that, much to his dismay.

 _"_ _But_ _Ara! It's just The Chamber of Secrets, and the beast only attacks mud-"_

 _"Shut up!" Ara_ _yelled_ _, this 'Chamber of Secrets' theory had given the boy too much bravery when it came to his blood prejudices, and disrespecting his older sister._

_Draco stared at Ara wide-eyed, he immediately understood that he had crossed the line._

_"-I do not care if you think you're immune to petrification due to an idiotic prejudice! No where alone Draco, do you understand me?"_

_"Yes, Ara,"_

Adrian had also been on edge, although he'd only voiced his worries because Ara had coaxed it out of him while the pair had been alone in the Slytherin common room.

Fred, George and Cedric were worried too, but they refused to admit it. They didn't want to make Ara anymore anxious, _or encourage her nagging about 'staying safe',_ by confirming that they were scared.

 _A_ _semi-_ _noble thought._

While Ara, Adrian, and Nereza sat in the common room, helping Second Years pick their electives for next year by offering different experiences, Ara couldn't help but think back to it all.

It was just _so_ strange. So unexplainable.

_I hate this. I hate feeling-_

"I wish I could drop Potions," A Second Year, that Ara recognized as Millicent Bulstrode, said a little to sassily, which pulled Ara back to reality.

The Forth Year rolled her eyes.

"Why would you do that?"

"Snape-"

" _Professor_ Snape is a wonderful potions professor, probably the best, and our head of house," Ara snapped, shaking her head and then beginning to tell one of Draco's friends, Theodore Nott, about Arithmancy.

"Easy for his favourite student to say," Grumbled Adrian, Nereza giggled at the comment, and Ara rolled her eyes again.

"-What about Vector, is she nice?" A girl standing next to Theodore, _Daphne Greengrass_ , asked, referring to the Arithmancy Professor.

"Professor Vector is lovely, just behave well during the first few weeks of class and she'll like you, if she likes you, she's willing to leave a few _unlucky_ marks off your final grade," Ara explained quickly, and then turned back to Adrian and Nereza, who were explaining Care for Magical Creatures and Divination respectively.

"You know which class I'd drop, if possible?" Ara called out to the two.

 _"Defence Against the Dark Arts,"_ They both replied, and then chuckled.

It wasn't that Ara didn't like the subject, or was even _bad_ at it, but the professors in recent years had been _consistently_ getting on her nerves.

 _"Especially_ if Headmaster Dumbledore decides to keep Professor Lockhart," Ara shook her head, and then raised an eyebrow at Gregory Goyle, who'd just asking her about Study of Ancient Runes.

 _"Agreed!_ Remember when the oaf let those Pixies out?" Adrian shook his head and laughed while remembering the _awful_ day.

_They stole half my quills._

"-It's a hard class, but if _you_ think you can handle it," Ara shrugged kindly, finishing her conversation with Gregory before replying to Adrian.

_"That means you're too stupid for it, Goyle!"_

_"Draco!"_ Ara gasped and gave Goyle an apologetic look.

_She didn't correct him._

"He's not _that_ bad," Nereza mumbled, referring to Lockhart, Ara and Adrian rolled their eyes, she had a _major_ crush on him.

"Of course, _you_ _'d_ _-"_

" _Hey_! At least I don't find Ol-"

 _"Shut up!"_ Ara gasped and the two laughed, she regretted telling Nereza she found Oliver Wood cute.

Adrian gave the two giggling girls a confused look. He, unsurprisingly, tended to be out of the loop when it came to _boys_.

"Anyway, Lockhart is a _weirdo!_ He comes to the school and teaches us nothing about how to defend ourselves! _W_ _hat luck,_ this is probably the year we could've used it the most!" Adrian ranted, referring to the so-called opening of the Chamber of Secrets.

Ara's eyes widened, and she snapped her head over to Adrian.

"I need to talk to Uncle Sev about something," She mumbled, hoping the boy would understand, when she noticed his eyes widen, she knew he did.

 _"Ara!_ Make sure to come back quick. We've got that Quidditch match to get to!" Nereza called out innocently, referring to the Gryffindor vs Hufflepuff game scheduled today.

_Cedric had been training nonstop, not wanting a repeat of last years game, although the twins insisted he was wasting his time._

Ara yelled out an _'okay'_ , and left Nereza and Adrian to deal with the Second Years alone, she practically ran to Snape's office.

"Uncle! - Sev! - Open! - _Up!"_ She banged on the door between each word.

Severus slammed the door open, clearly worried, and Ara pushed her way into his office.

"Are you-"

"Can you tutor me in Defense Against The Dark Arts?" Severus blinked a few times and then became visibly irritated.

"You threw a _fit_ on my door, because you want a _tutor?"_

"Yes-"

"Don't _lie,_ you are the last student to need a _tutor,_ in _anything_ ,"

 _"Well,_ Professor Lockhart doesn't teach us anything, and considering recent happenings, don't you think it'd be useful for a student to know how to defend herself?"

Severus stared at Ara for a moment. Taking in what she had said.

"You think Lockhart is behind the petrifications, don't you?"

Ara gave him a questioning look, silently asking if she was right.

"Ara, Lockhart is an _idiot,_ he hasn't got the brains to open the Chamber, that is, if it's even _real_ ,"

"I _knew_ you hated him too! Anyway, what if he's just- _just_ pretending?"

"I'd know,"

The pair paused.

"Have you used Legilimency on him?"

Ara knew her Uncle. He was a _very_ powerful Legilimens, having been the one to teach her the art of it, and it's counter skill, Occlumency, when she was a mere child. She'd found latter more difficult, but Uncle Sev had made sure she was a near-master in both.

Severus hesitated for a moment.

_"Yes,"_

Before Ara could apologize for interrupting him with the conspiracy, because now she felt truly embarrassed, the two were interrupted.

 _"Severus!"_ Professor McGonagall burst into Snape's office, Ara and her Uncle gave the Professor a confused look.

"Yes, Minerva?"

McGonagall paid him no mind, immediately focusing on Ara instead.

"Miss Malfoy, I need you to go to the Slytherin common room, _immediately,"_

Ara scrunched her eyebrows together.

"I was planning on going to the Quidditch match-"

"It'll be canceled by the time you get there, please, to your common room,"

Ara glanced up at her Uncle Sev, who nodded softly, silently telling her to go. Ara scurried out of the office, and before shutting the door, she heard the most _dreadful_ thing.

 _"Two more students have been petrified, Severus_ ,"

* * *

"I'm getting quite tired," Nereza yawned, Ara gave her a warm smile and nodded, Adrian stared at the flames in the Slytherin fireplace and said nothing.

Hogwarts was in lockdown.

Nearly every night, since students weren't allowed to go _anywhere_ , the common room was flooded with Slytherins that chattered amongst themselves, and nearly every night, Ara and Adrian would stay up to ungodly hours of the night, waiting for everyone to clear out.

"Sleep well then, I'm still not tired," Adrian said nonchalantly, Nereza gave him a curious look, and then turned her head over to Ara.

"I'm not either, so don't wait up for me," Ara smiled charmingly.

"I don't know how you two manage to stay up so late every night," Nereza shook her head, but left anyway.

_Alone at last._

Watching as Nereza turn the corner towards the girls dormitories, Ara's smile fell.

"I'm getting sick of this," She mumbled to Adrian.

Her straight posture fell and her preppy attitude changed to a sour one, she sighed and covered her face with one hand, closing her eyes, she fell back into the chair she was in.

"Will you ever trust her?"

Ara didn't answer, she took a deep breath and peeled her eyes open, leaning forward and staring at the flames in the fireplace, the same way the boy next to her was doing.

"Any ideas yet?" Adrian asked quietly, sensing she wasn't even going to _entertain_ answering the first question.

"Not in the slightest, you?"

You see, the pair had been staying up nearly every night, trying to figure out how to fix this _wretched_ situation.

Ara hated knowing there were student in the infirmary that had been unconscious for months now, _poor souls_ , and she hated knowing that at any moment, _whatever_ it was that had attacked them, could strike again.

_What's to say I won't be attacked next? Or Draco? What about Fred? Were he and George safe? And Cedric?_

Ara was sick of never being able to see Fred, George, or Cedric, she _missed_ them, _worried_ for them. To top it off, being cooped up in the common room with every other Slytherin, First to Seventh Year, was crowded and annoying to say the least.

Nearly a month, this had been going on.

Adrian hated it all just as much as Ara, for his own reasons, and so the pair had been trying to figure out a way to _fix_ it.

Which was proving quite difficult, since they didn't have much to base _anything_ off of, and the library was closed, so no researching either.

"If only _Saint Potter_ could deal with this, I'm sure he's much better at being a hero then we," Adrian joked, Ara chuckled softly and agreed.

"I bet he's trying. He's just not having any-"

Ara stopped. Adrian gave her a curious look.

"I bet he's trying!" Ara gasped, the gears in her head turning, "-And I bet if we can point him in the right direction-"

Adrian groaned, he understood what she meant.

"What direction, Ara?!" He raised his frustrated voice ever so slightly, and then fell back into his chair, "-We haven't even got an _inkling_ to a _clue_ that'll point us in _any_ direction!"

"You're right," Ara sighed, a _painful_ silence fell over the two.

_"Ade?"_

"Yeah?"

"You've got an owl, haven't you?"

Adrian, with his eyes still closed, scrunched his eyebrows together.

"Of course I've got an owl."

Ara hadn't been allowed an owl, not since the summer before Second Year.

"How good is it at being discreet?"

Adrian peeled his eyes open and gave Ara a confused look.

* * *

"Ara, Potter is a smart kid, I'm _sure_ he'll be-"

"Adrian, if you don't want to help, go back to the common room and wait for me," Ara whispered, looking over her shoulder as she darted down one of the halls in the castle silently.

Adrian sighed quietly and ran after her.

He did _not_ want to go back to common room. Snape was patrolling that area, and he'd _much_ rather be caught with the mans god-daughter then alone.

"Wait inside this tunnel and do _not_ follow me! It leads to the infirmary, and I don't think we can both sneak past Madam Pomfrey," Ara warned quietly, and before Adrian could ask what tunnel, she lifted her wand and tapped the wall in front of them three times.

_Amazing._

The two of them both whispered ' _Lumos_ ' once inside the dark passage, Adrian watched anxiously as the blueish-light from Ara's wand disappeared, leaving him with only his own. He tried not to think about what an _awfully_ risky idea this was.

 _Hurry up. Don't get caught_ _. Hurry up._

Ara quietly ran down the tunnel, with every twist and turn she took, she grew more anxious, until _finally_ , she came to a dead-end.

She'd memorized the route, so Adrian wouldn't have to see her pull out _The Marauders Map,_ but now, with him no where in sight, she took it out from under her robes, where it'd been tucked into the hem of her skirt.

_For old times sake._

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," Ara whispered with her wand's tip placed on top of the old map.

She checked to make sure she'd used the right passage, and that Madam Pomfrey was not moving around the infirmary, and then smiled.

_Working out better than I planned._

"Mischief managed"

Ara placed the, _now_ _blank,_ map back into the hem of her skirt and took a deep breath.

_Now, or never._

_"Nox,"_ Ara said softly. She tapped her now lightless wand against the wall in front of her three times, and then walked into the moonlit infirmary through the raised tunnel wall.

Silently, Ara moved through the infirmary, she let out a sigh of relief upon seeing that Pomfrey was, _in fact_ , asleep.

She then started the most crucial part of this mission, _finding Hermione._ Which ended up being a lot easier than she thought it'd be.

Hermione, eyes wide, and frozen in an awkward position, was at the end of the infirmary, in the third farthest bed from Madam Pomfrey's office.

"Hello, Hermione," Ara whispered quietly, standing, _practically hiding,_ by the petrified girls bed, _"-So,_ I'm not quite sure how being petrified works, and I'm not really in the position to ask, but I'll explain what's happening, incase you can hear,"

Ara turned her head slightly, to make sure Madam Pomfrey had not woken, before continuing to talk.

"-A lot is wrong in Hogwarts right now, and what I'm about to put in your hand is hopefully going to fix it all," Ara pulled out a crumpled piece of paper and placed it into Hermione's hand, which proved to be a struggle since her fingers were ever so stiff.

"-This is what'll help Harry defeat the Basilisk, which is what attacked you, Adrian and I have a plan that'll make sure Potter visits you tomorrow and finds it," Ara continued explained, looking over her shoulder every so often.

"-I know it's a bit cowardly, I'm sorry, but, Ade and I've never been ones for fame, _or my father's wrath,"_ Ara laughed softly, when met with silence she cleared her throat, "-Anyway, everything will work out the same, _hopefully,"_

 _"Oh,_ and please, when you wake up, pretend _you_ found everything out," Ara nearly begged, she was starting to feel a bit silly, talking to what was practically a statue, "-In case you can't hear me, and I've been talking to myself like a maniac, you'll find there'll be a rumour going around about how the petrified usually forget their memories right before the event, sorry about-"

Madam Pomfrey's murmuring could be heard.

Ara stopped explaining and fell to the floor, rolling under Hermione's infirmary bed. She held her breath as she listened to Madam Pomfrey walk right past her, and then out of the infirmary, she thought her heart would jump out of her chest from fear.

_She must be going to the bathroom._

Ara waited for a few moments, the woman had not returned yet, and deciding to risk it all, the blonde rolled out from under the bed and bolted up.

"I've really got to go, but the mandrakes are nearly ready, so you'll be back to normal soon!"

And with that, Ara ran towards the secret passage, silently she opened it, lit her wand, and ran back to Adrian, who looked relieved to say the least.

"Back to the dorms?"

"Nearly," Ara gave him a reassuring look.

They scurried through the same shortcuts and paths they'd used to get to the infirmary tunnel when returning to the dungeons, except this time, while passing the _very_ last window before the dungeons, they stopped.

There sat Adrian's white owl, silently waiting, the two opened the window quietly.

 _"Keep watch,"_ Ara mumbled to Adrian, who nodded and stood at the corner, looking left and right vigorously.

Once sure he wasn't looking at her, Ara pulled out the Marauders Map, handing it to the owl.

"-To Fred and George Weasley's dorm in Gryffindor tower, they should be expecting it, afterwards back to the Owlery, without a _hoot!"_ Ara explained, waving her finger at the bird.

Although it could not speak, Ara was sure it understood her.

 _"Thank you!"_ Ara called out as the owl flew off, Adrian snapped his head over to her and made an aggressive _'shhh'_ motion.

She smiled widely and motioned for him to come back, together the two ran towards the dungeons, Adrian whispered the password and fell in first, Ara right after him.

Once inside the common room, the pair gave each other surprised looks.

"We actually did it!" Ara said, loudly at that, her and Adrian jumped to hug each other.

That plan had worked perfectly!

So perfectly, that Snape had even chosen to ignore the familiar head of blonde hair he saw running down the stairs towards the dungeons.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> merry christmas to any of my orthodox readers!
> 
> wow, this was lowkey a kinda difficult chapter to write, and its reallyyyyy long! (longest to be published as of rn) let me know if it was too much so i can adjust, because i do have a few more written that are even longer! anyway, thank you so much for reading, leave a comment/kudos if you'd like
> 
> also a bit of forewarning, this story is focused on Ara and her plotline, first and foremost. of course there will be romance, because that is part of her and her story, but i cant say that is all i will write about, simply because thats not my plan and never was. i hope no one minds this! ive added it to the first a/n for future readers as well.


	16. Letters and Lies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is another long chapter, sorry if its to much! let me know and ill make them shorter

**_Second Book_ **

**_End of June, 1993_ **   
**_Forth Year_ **

It was safe to say, Ara and Adrian's plan had _worked._ The pair had been giddily happy ever since they'd gotten back to the Slytherin common room, even more so after hearing that Harry had _actually_ bested the Basilisk.

Adrian had looked nearly bewildered upon hearing the news.

_"I don't like him, but I've got to admit, that Potter's got a lot of nerve!"_

To top off the great news, Hermione had _definitely_ heard Ara that night in the infirmary, and _thankfully_ kept _everything_ to herself.

Whenever Ara glanced over to the younger girl, she'd notice Hermione already staring, a look on her face that made it seem like she was _desperately_ trying to solve some kind of puzzle.

The blonde would just chuckle and look away.

It had been a good year. _For the most part._

Ara's father had been fired from his job as a Governor for Hogwarts, but he was Lucius Malfoy. With the connections he had, he could probably be the next Minister of Magic if he wanted, so Ara wasn't worried. Also, the Malfoy's inheritance didn't leave much reason to worry, even if Lucius didn't want to work.

But other than that, everything really seemed to have fallen into place, even Professor Lockhart got sacked!

_Thank Merlin._

The twins had, after a lot of convincing, agreed to stop asking Ara about why she needed The Marauders Map. Although Fred couldn't help but tease her a bit.

_"Aren't you glad we nicked it all the way back in First Year?"_

Ara smiled to herself, and then, sensing that she wasn't alone anymore, looked to her right. She was on the Hogwarts Express, and she _had_ been alone in the trains corridor while looking out of a window.

 _"Hello, Harry_ , _"_ Ara grinned and turned her head towards the window again.

She watched the landscape whizz by her, the train ride home was always so peaceful.

 _"Hello,"_ Harry mumbled back, he was standing next her. Neither of them said anything else for a while after that.

"We'll be getting to the station soon," Ara mused, Harry nodded, obviously preoccupied by his own thoughts, _"-Earth to Harry?"_

The boy snapped his head over to Ara, who looked him up and down, clearly amused.

"Take good care of Dobby, will you?"

The boy gasped, Ara chuckled and turned back to watch the moving landscape.

" _Wha_ -what? _I mean_ , how-"

"He was quite kind to me in my childhood," Ara mused, not bothering to look at the boy next to her, "-I believe my mother might even have a photograph or two of me with him,"

"B-but, you- _you're-"_

_All that stuttering._

"My father would be livid if he found out, but mum has always quite good at hiding things from him," Ara shrugged, seemingly speaking to herself more than Harry.

"What's that saying, I believe muggles use it? Like mother, like daughter?"

_"Yes,"_

Ara smiled softly and nodded, _seemingly true._

Noticing the train beginning to slow down, Ara felt joyful. She'd really missed her mother.

 _"Also,_ when you see Dobby again, tell him he'll be missed, and that Madam Ara says thank you, he's probably guessed by now, but it worked,"

Harry looked perplexed, _guilty_ even.

"Ara, you know I'm not his master, _right?"_ Harry said, nearly shyly.

Ara laughed her loud laugh, and nodded.

"I know,"

"Then-"

"He's a very loyal creature, and he's got a habit of appearing in unexpected places, he'll find you,"

Harry looked down, seemingly in deep thought, Ara watched him out of the corner of her eye, wondering if he'd understand what she meant. Suddenly, he glanced up at her, looking confused to say the least.

"What do you mean, ' _it worked'?"_

Ara smiled, so Hermione hadn't told _anyone_ , not even her best friend.

"He'll know what I'm talking about,"

The train came to a stop, and Ara quickly scanned the station, searching for her mother, she smiled widely upon finding her.

"Have a good summer Harry, tell the twins I'll miss them, _yeah_?"

The boy nodded at her, and with a snap of her fingers, Ara's luggage was next to her.

She made her way outside quickly, practically leaving Harry in her dust. Ara made sure to find Draco before making her way towards their mother.

"Look how you've _grown!"_ Narcissa fawned over her children, giving them both a kiss on the cheek.

"Is father not here?" Draco asked, Narcissa smiled a strange smile that Ara could not read.

"Unfortunately, but he'll be at the manor, don't worry,"

Ara gave her mother a small smile and nodded, not particularly caring, but Draco clearly did, so she refrained from saying anything snarky.

 _"You know,_ the _most_ peculiar thing happened about a week ago," Narcissa mused as she ushered her children away from the station, "-While your father was doing an inventory of the library, he'd found that he was one book down,"

Draco made a face that screamed _'who cares'_ while Ara tried to hold back her smirk.

"You two wouldn't happen to know anything about that?" Narcissa asked, carefully eyeing her daughter.

Ara chuckled under her breath and shrugged, while Draco gave his mum a confused glance.

"How could we? We've been in school all year, _lockdown_ ," He shook his head, "-Dad doesn't think it has anything to do with Ari, right?"

Bless his soul.

"Of course not! I'm just asking!" Narcissa waved her son off.

"He probably miscounted, when I get home I'll help him redo it," Ara assured her mother sweetly, the older woman glanced at her daughter, and then nodded.

Narcissa couldn't help but remember a _very_ similar predicament happening once when she was a child, and still a Black, _Andromeda_ had said scarily akin to that.

* * *

"-Seems like the Weasley's have had a stoke of luck, _for once,"_

Ara's father bringing up the Weasley's made her tense up. Trying to seem nonchalant while eating her lunch, she glanced up at the man who'd been reading a copy of the Daily Prophet.

"How so?"

"Won that lottery that the ministry holds, I'm sure they were over the moon, _about 700 galleons_ ," Lucius chortled, Ara shot him an angry, _practically disgusted,_ glare.

"Dear, if you're not hungry anymore, go check on your brother, will you?" Narcissa asked quickly. She'd seen the look on her daughters face, thankfully before Lucius had.

Narcissa knew that separating her husband and Ara was the best course of action to prevent any arguments, which had been avoided an unnatural amount this summer.

"Yes, mother," Ara said kindly, glancing at her father before standing up and leaving.

 _He_ _'_ _s_ _a bitter old man._

Ara burst into her brothers bedroom and fell onto his bed absentmindedly. She didn't bother even looking at Draco, who sat at his desk quietly. Her thoughts were plagued by the Weasley's.

"Yes, Ari?" Draco sighed, tapping a quill against his forehead.

Ara said nothing in return, and stared up at the ceiling of Draco's room for what felt like _ages_ , the hooting of her brothers owl snapped her back to reality.

"Drake, can I borrow your owl?"

"What?" Draco turned in the chair to look at his sister, "- _Why?"_

"I've been meaning to write Nereza,"

 _Lie_. Not that Draco could tell. The boy gave her a curious look and then shrugged.

 _"_ Sure, go ahead," He turned back around, and continued doing whatever it was he'd been doing at his desk, "-Why can't mum and dad just buy you your own owl?"

Ara sat up and gave her brother an amused glare.

 _"Hmh,_ I wonder?" She mused sarcastically, pretending to be in thought. Draco's lips formed into a tight line and he _immediately_ regretted his question.

"Ara-" He turned to face his sister.

 _"Maybe_ it has something to do with my meddlesome little brother, who just so happened to get me in a world of trouble in _First Year_ _,_ for which the punishment is still pending?"

Draco sighed and shook his head. Ara had her arms crossed and gave the soon to be Third Year a questioning look.

"I didn't mean for it to happen-" He mumbled, Ara let out a loud laugh and shook her head.

"All is forgiven, _besides_ , Ulysses is practically mine now anyway," Ara hummed teasingly, referring to Draco's owl, she then grabbed the birds cage and walking out of the room smugly.

"Ari! I _never_ said that!"

Draco's big sister ignored his protests as she quickly walked into her own room and shut the door, she fell into the chair by her desk and began writing a letter _immediately._

_Dear Freddie and George,_

_I am sorry for not being able to send separate letters, but I told Draco I was only using his owl to send something to Nereza (my roommate, incase you two fail to remember), and two letters would've been suspicious._

_Now, onto the reason I am writing you, CONGRATULATIONS!_

_I heard about your family winning that lottery, its wonderful news! Do tell me if you've done anything exciting with the money when school starts!_

_Take care,_   
_Ara_

_P.S. I know you two predicted it, and keep the cheekiness to a minimum, but I've been named one of the prefects for Slytherin._

_P.P.S. Don't bother writing back, Draco is a nosy boy, he'll read the letters and I'll get into a world of trouble._

Anxiously, Ara sealed the envelope and attached it to Ulysses, letting the bird fly out through her window.

* * *

"Draco, I noticed Ulysses was gone?"

Ara's breath hitched upon hearing her father ask the question.

She discreetly looked over to her brother. Who didn't skip a beat before answering.

"Yes, I sent a letter to Pansy Parkinson," Draco met his sisters gaze and gave her a small, _barely there,_ smile.

Draco loved Ara very much. And although he was a bit of a menace towards her, he would never want anything bad to happen to her. Telling their father about her letters, even though they were for Nereza, might result in something _bad._

Draco telling Lucius _many_ things, would result in something _bad_ for Ara. One of those things being her _very_ strange relationship with the Weasley twins.

When Draco had started school at Hogwarts, it'd made him uncomfortable, watching his big sister interact so _warmly_ with the people their father undoubtedly hated. The look in her eyes when she spoke to Fred Weasley, _specifically,_ made him very uncomfortable.

But, the thought of what their father might do to Ara if he found out about that _look_ in her eye, made him the _most_ uncomfortable.

That's why, he chose to turn a blind eye towards the _friendship._ And he the older he got, the more he made sure _anyone_ who had an issue with it also turned a blind eye, literally.

_He'd been forced to hex more than a few people blind for gossiping about Ara._

After a very long time, Draco had managed to convince himself that Ara was just being nice to the Weasley twins.

_To Fred._

It made sense, after all, Ara was nice to _everyone,_ she was friends with _everyone,_ and that was something father secretly liked.

It was a typical Slytherin trait, making friends with all kinds of people, you'd never know when someone might come in handy.

Draco wasn't quite sure that this was why Ara was the way she was, but when their father wrote him throughout the year, demanding to know how Ara was behaving, that's what he'd say.

That she was being nice, making _connections,_ withholding the Malfoy reputation, and surely a shoo-in for headgirl.

He'd say she was making friends.

_And he'd never clarify what kind of friends._

* * *

"-Cornelius Fudge has made the muggles aware of your _dear_ Sirius' escape, Narcissa," Lucius said menacingly in the middle of dinner.

Ara's head snapped over to her mother. She'd been behaving strangely the whole summer, and it was unlike her to allow Lucius to speak badly about _any_ of the Blacks.

Narcissa's body went stiff, she hummed out a response while taking a bite of her food.

The tension in the room could be cut with a butter knife, Draco, being _very_ uncomfortable, avoided everyone's gaze. Ara, on the other hand, eyed her father.

"-As if _they_ have any chance of finding him, _really_ , Fudge has always been delusional,"

Ara felt herself gripping her eating utensils so tightly that her fingers turned white. It wasn't _what_ he was saying, it was the _pretentious_ tone he was using.

"-He always was a bad egg, that Sirius, some man to call family,"

Ara watched her father carefully, he was acting strange. The look he gave Narcissa forced a cold chill down Ara's spine.

"He is your children's family,"

"Precisely, now, if Fudge could just catch the disgrace already, it'd make sure Drac- _they,_ wouldn't have to deal with the humiliation of such _family_ ,"

Ara clenched her jaw.

_If he doesn't stop talking._

"The only useful thing that man _ever_ did was sell out the Potter's, got two of the three-"

Dinner came to an abrupt halt when Ara stabbed her fork into the table.

Draco and Narcissa stared at the protruding utensil, wide-eyed.

"How... _primitive_ of you, Ara," Lucius hissed.

As a girl, Ara had been beyond scared of her father.

But, the older she got, the more she realized there was _very_ little she had to be frightened of. It truly was ironic how _beautifully_ the tables had turned. Now, realistically, if there was _anyone_ in Malfoy Manor to be scared of, it was Ara. Which Lucius had noticed, and _hated._

He couldn't thrash her around anymore, couldn't intimidate her, couldn't yell her into submission.

"Have you no shame?" Ara asked angrily, standing up from her seat, Lucius gave her an unamused look.

"Whatever do you mean?"

"A boy was left an orphan, _have you no shame?_ What if it was you, and mother? What if _you_ had _died_ and left Draco alone?"

_He'd be better off._

She knew Lucius couldn't care less about her, but Draco? Sure to strike a chord.

Lucius did not say anything.

"-You needn't like the Potter's, or even respect them, but recognize that a _boy_ was left _fatherless_ ,"

"You've always been to empathic, it needed to happen," Lucius shrugged, Ara laughed bitterly.

"For _what?_ It needed to happen for _what?"_

* * *

Ara did not finish her dinner that night, finding that she'd lost her appetite rather quickly. She decided to barricade herself in her room and wait for sleep, _and hopefully calm,_ to overcome her

Unfortunately, a knock at the door interrupted both those things.

"Yes?"

Narcissa opened the door wordlessly, and afterwards, closed it gently.

"I guess the summer wouldn't be complete without at least _one_ argument," She joked and walked over to her daughter, who was sitting in her bed.

Every summer since Ara's First Year at Hogwarts had entailed at least _one_ major fight between her and her father, almost like tradition.

Ara gave her mum a sad smile.

"-This one really was very tame compared to the others, although, getting that fork out of the table proved to be a challenge," Narcissa mused, sitting down on Ara's bed and beginning to run her fingers through the girl's hair.

Ara sighed and laid down, placing her head on her mother's lap, the two stayed like that for a while.

"You know, _under different circumstances,_ I think you would've quite liked Sirius,"

Ara sat up and gave her mother a concerned look.

"-He was very much, _your type of person_ , _"_

"Wow, my type of person. A murderer. Thank you mother, that means so-"

Ara shut up when Narcissa stood up and brushed her clothes off, she regretted the sarcastic tone she'd used with her mum.

"Sirius _is_ a good man Ara, remember that, will you?" And with that, Narcissa was gone.

_Is? What does she mean, is?_

Ara stared at her door from which her mother left, _confused,_ for what felt like ages. That is, until it the door slammed open again, and Draco walked in, looking rather bored.

"Zabini's cousin wrote you back,"

 _"What?"_ Ara asked, thrown off guard.

Draco chucked a plain envelope, labeled ' _To Ara, From Nereza'_ in pretty handwriting, that did not belong to her roommate, onto Ara's bed. Ara stared at the envelope, shocked to say the least.

"Just tell me if you need Ulysses again," Draco was gone, Ara pushed her mother's strange behavior to the back of her mind while she ripped open the envelope.

_Dear Ara,_

_Lucky you. We were on vacation (that's what we used a major portion of the lottery money to do, tell you all about when school starts) with our brother, Bill (oldest, headboy, Gringotts, remember?) he's quite the wizard, and showed us a neat trick._

_You see, you're the only one able to see this letter for what it truly is, to everyone else, even those who bother to open it, it seems like a plain letter from roommate to roommate, but you get to see it for what it really is._

_A message from your favorite wizards!_

_Incase you want to use the spell, we'll write the incantation on the back._

_Yours truly,_   
_Freddie and Georgie_

_P.S. Percy is headboy, which means you'll have to take orders from him! SUCKER._

_P.P.S. Please write back if you can, Fred misses you, but doesn't want to seem sappy -George_

Ara smiled so widely, it hurt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not me posting chapters just because i want to rant,,,, embarrassing
> 
> anywayyyy, ive sort of figure out how i want to organize the story and i want to tell you folks, so here it is:  
> -one continuous story (no sequel)  
> -there will be more then one part though (bc theres a few post-war chapters in the making) currently aiming for 2/3  
> -THIS IS A LOT, but around 60 chapters (give or take) all together?  
> -lowkey, ive never really used ao3 before this fic, so im not sure how to make it *pretty* buttt im planning on making it look a bit nicer on wattpad (DONT KILL ME, IK SM PPL HATE IT)  
> -by a bit nicer, i mean moodboards, lyrics, ext. between parts, and as soon as i figure out how to do that here it'll be added as well! 
> 
> anyway thats it for rn, i'll keep you all updated! like always, tysm for reading, that alone makes my day! leave a kudos/comment if youd like!


	17. Dementor vs Prefect

_**Third Book** _

**_September 1st, 1993_  
 _Fifth Year_ **

_"There'll be Dementors at Hogwarts this year_ _so,_ _keep an extra eye on your brother,"_

Those words had been repeating in Ara's head ever since her mother had first uttered them. So, when the Hogwarts Express came to a screeching stop, and the lights powered off, her mother's voice was practically screaming at her.

Ara stumbled out of her train compartment and told the Slytherins that she'd been sitting with to stay put.

It was nearly pitch black in the train due to the _awful_ weather, the sound of rain pelting down on the locomotive was louder than ever.

" _Lumos_ _,"_

Ara began walking into every compartment, making sure everyone was okay, and calling out Draco's name in the process. When she fell into the train compartment of a group of First Years, she took the time to teach them their first spell.

"Here, move your wands like this, and say ' _Lumos_ ' so that you're not in the dark," Ara smiled when they preformed the spell successfully.

_"Is this normal?"_

_"Are we going to be okay?"_

_"What's going on?"_

"I'm not sure yet, but you are all in good hands, just relax until the train starts again," Ara shut the compartment door, and hoped she hadn't just lied to a group of eleven year olds.

She stumbled clumsily into the next compartment.

"Drac-"

 _"Ara!"_ Fred and George smiled widely, they both stood up to hug her.

They'd grown _even_ taller over the summer. _And certainly looked more mature._

"Are you two okay?" Ara asked immediately, looking the two boys over.

"Of course," George nodded, he and Fred's eyes fell to the prefect badge pinned on Ara's chest, they made a gross face.

Ara rolled her eyes and covered the badge with her robe.

 _"Stop it!_ Have you seen Percy, or maybe my brother?"

"Already planning on taking orders from Perce? What has the world come to," Fred shook his head teasingly, faking disappointment. Ara smiled and rolled her eyes.

She couldn't help but notice that he looked _very_ good. Good enough to make her want to feel slightly flustered, which was not good, not proper, and _definitely_ not a reciprocated feeling.

She pushed the _feeling_ to the back of her head.

"It's part of the job description, unfort-"

Ara's whole body went stiff, and she felt incredibly cold. Looking up at the twins, she could tell they felt the same.

 _"What's-"_ George was cut off when the train compartment door slammed open.

Ara immediately turned around and felt her skin crawl, there, right in front of her, was a _Dementor_.

The hooded figure silently stood in front of the three Fifth Years, Ara felt her breath hitch, it was becoming increasingly cold, _and increasingly uncomfortable,_ in the compartment.

Subconsciously, Ara stepped back into Fred's chest, she heard the boy take a deep breath, and then step in front of her. He didn't dare utter a word though.

The four beings stared at each other quietly. And that continued, until a scream was heard.

Draco's scream.

Ara's eyes widened, and she quickly pushed herself in front of Fred, who placed his arm on her shoulder in an attempt to stop her.

"You've seen the compartment, now be on your way," Ara said with a type of bravery she was not aware she possessed.

She held her lit wand up and directed it towards the Dementor, who stepped, or whatever it was they did, back.

It did not leave. And Ara's hands were shaking so badly, it was comical.

"We're only Fifth Years. We haven't got any business with the man you're looking for, _be on your way,"_ Ara demanded, this time in a sterner voice.

 _"Hey_ , you heard her," Fred piped up, lighting his wand as well, and pointing it toward the hooded figure, George followed in suit.

The Dementor wordlessly left the compartment.

Ara's confident posture, and hand which held her wand, both fell. She let out a shaky breath.

"That was Draco's scream-"

Before Ara could even finish her sentence, the lights flickered back on, and three boys burst into the compartment. Looking as if they'd _pissed_ themselves.

Fred and George began laughing. Ara, although also finding their appearance funny, hit both of boys stomachs with the back of her hand, and mumbled a _'stop'._

"Draco, Gregory, Vincent, are you alright?" 

* * *

"I cannot _believe_ Professor Snape recommended me for this rotten job!" Ara complained loudly to George and Fred, "-Guess what I had to do, _first thing_ this morning? Pull apart two Third Years, who were clawing at each other's necks! Over _my_ brother!"

 _"No!"_ George gasped and began laughing, "-The boy who nearly pissed-"

"Yes, that boy," Ara rolled her eyes, cutting him off before he made fun of the scene with Draco on the train.

 _"You know,_ Ced seems to be enjoying his work as prefect," Fred mused teasingly, they had just seen the boy standing outside of a classroom consoling a crying First Year dressed in yellow.

" _Hm,_ I wonder why? When do you think was the last time Cedric had to pull apart two Hufflepuffs trying to murder each other?" Ara asked sarcastically.

She couldn't believe she'd been _excited_ over this.

" _Ah yes_ , the duties of being a prefect, _I suppose,"_ An unfamiliar voice interrupted, "-The ones from Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw always seemed to be having the grandest time, while _unfortunately,_ the ones from Gryffindor and Slytherin often had their work cut out for them, it was like that back in my day, I can attest to it,"

The trio had walked into their Defence Against the Dark Arts class. Where their newest teacher, Professor Lupin, gave them an amused look.

"Do try to keep your head on straight, or you might end up graduating with a few extra grey hairs, Miss..." Remus Lupin trailed off, looking directly at Ara.

The blonde stared at him, wide-eyed.

She hadn't found Professor Lockhart, or really any of her teachers, particularly attractive before.

That was not the case anymore.

Professor Lupin had brown hair, and a face sprinkled with soft freckles and large scars, that he might've been self-conscious about, but they did nothing except make him look cuter.

 _"Ar'?"_ Fred gently nudged Ara with his elbow, snapping her out of her daze.

Remus had raised an eyebrow at the silent girl.

"He's asking your name," George whispered softly, the boys gave each other a concerned look.

 _"Oh!_ I- _umh-_ Ara," She stuttered, turning a shade pinker out of embarrassment.

Lupin gave her a nod, and cracked smiled.

"Very well, _Miss Ara_ , please, take a seat," He gestured to the classroom desks, "-Along with you two, then we'll start the class," Remus glanced at the twins.

Ara quickly, with her head down, pushed past a few desks and sat at the first empty one she saw, too embarrassed to look back at the Professor, she kept her nose in her textbook as he began teaching.

"Ara, what's wrong?" Fred mumbled softly, he and his brother had sat down on either side of the blonde, she refused to look up at them.

Fred was starting to get worried.

"Ar', you're acting strange, are you-"

"Shut up, _please_! I am fine!" Ara said in a rushed tone, still refusing to lift her head out of her textbook.

Fred blinked a few times, before looking over to George, who seemed just as confused. The twins, at the same time, grabbed Ara's book, and forced it away from her face, placing it flat on her desk.

Ara glared at the two boys, but could not hide the blush which still adorned her cheeks.

Fred's face washed over in realization and he snapped his head over to Lupin, and then back to the girl beside him.

"Really, _him?"_ He asked, connecting the dots, and making a nearly _disgusted_ face.

"Wait till Cedric hears!" George, who'd understood immediately, found the situation _very_ amusing.

"Cedric will not hear, _anything!"_ Ara whispered aggressively.

" _Oh_ , yes, he will!" Fred told her teasingly, "-To think, he's been right since Second Year!"

The twins both stifled their laughter, and Ara buried her head in her hands.

Throughout the year, Ara would found herself forgetting to write notes, and dazing off dreamily while Professor Lupin taught, which the twins found _hilarious._

* * *

_"Malfoy!"_ Roger Davies, a Ravenclaw prefect in his Fifth Year, burst into the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, effectively bringing the current lesson to a halt.

"My apologies for the disturbance Professor," Lupin said nothing and glanced over to the blonde Slytherin being called, "-Ara, your brother has been injured,"

Ara stood up from her desk, confused, and _very_ concerned.

"What's wrong with him?"

"He's in the infirmary, Madam-" Ara drowned out the rest of what Roger was saying and turned her head to Professor Lupin while looking nearly frantic, and as if he could read her mind, he nodded.

_"Go,"_

Ara dashed out of the classroom and ran through the castle until she made it down to the infirmary. She made sure to ask Madam Pomfrey what had happened _before_ she got to Draco, and upon hearing the explanation, Ara found herself less worried and more angry.

"Draco Malfoy! _Who_ do you think you are?" The blonde bellowed, the smile on Draco's face that had formed upon seeing his sister fell upon realizing she was angry.

"I-"

 _"No!_ Draco, I've kept all my notes from Care for Magical Creatures, you've read them! What did you think you were doing, _insulting a Hippogriff?"_ Ara asked angrily.

Madam Pomfrey had quickly made her way over to the siblings and was desperately attempted to calm the oldest.

"It's not _my_ fault the beast-"

_"Mr Malfoy, Miss Malfoy, calm down!"_

They both ignored Madam Pomfrey.

"It is entirely _your_ fault! They are _known_ as prideful creatures! I can guarantee that your Professor told you that! You will apologize to them for disturbing their class with to your higher-then-thou complex!"

"Ara, the Professor is that oaf groundskeeper Hag-"

"You will be apologizing to _Professor_ Hagrid, then! Are we clear?" Ara and her brother glared at one another, but the older sibling was unwavering in her demands.

" _Fine_ ," Draco mumbled, "-But I've already written father about it,"

"Of course you have," Ara rolled her eyes.

 _D_ _addy's boy._

"How badly is he hurt?" She asked, turning to Madam Pomfrey. Ara knew better than to ask Draco, he was, after all, a dramatic boy.

"Just a scratch,"

"I'm in _pain!"_

It was going to be a long year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi everyone!! a bit of a shorter chapter today!! anyway, thank you so much for reading!
> 
> have a great day, and leave kudos/comments if you'd like <3


	18. Lovely Secrets

**_Third Book_ **

**_Early-November, 1993_ **   
**_Fifth Year_ **

Ara paced anxiously in front of the Gryffindor boys change room, the team had just lost against Hufflepuff. Fred and George were _sure_ to be upset.

Cedric, who'd caught the snitch for his team, and in turn won the game, had been the one to ask Ara to go check on the twins.

Taking a deep breath, she finally worked up the nerve to knock on the door.

" _Freddie? Georgie_? Are you two okay?" She asked softly, she could hear the showers running, so she knew someone was in there.

" _Guys_ , it's just one game, besides Ced-" Ara began ranting, thinking they were ignoring her.

Suddenly, the door was pulled open.

"They're in the infirmary,"

Ara blinked a few times, trying to make sure she wasn't imagining things.

Oliver Wood stood in front of her, _shirtless_ , with a towel tied around his waist. His hair was wet, and it looked like he'd _just_ stepped out of the shower. He did not look amused.

_Of course they were in the infirmary._

Harry had been badly injured during the game, they'd surely went to check on him.

 _"Right,_ sorry, I'll-"

Oliver cleared his throat, _effectively shutting Ara up,_ and looked the blonde up and down, he was leaning against the doorframe of the change room.

"You fancy me? Right?" He asked, very boldly, Ara scrunched her eyebrows together.

_"Excuse me?"_

"Is that a no?"

Ara stared at the boy for a moment, before looking away awkwardly.

"No, it's not..." She trailed off.

_"Perfect,"_

Oliver, who was atall boy, bent down, reached his hand behind Ara's neck, and kissed her.

And kissed her.

And kissed her. For what felt like hours.

_He's gone mad._

That's what Ara told herself as she kissed him back.

Oliver eventually pulled away, but only because he was in _desperate_ need for a breath of fresh air, and judging by Ara's soft panting, he could guess that the need was mutual.

"I'm sorry about that. I was just really, _umh-"_

"Don't worry about it," Ara said quickly, avoiding his gaze, "-I didn't mind,"

There was a moment of silence.

"I'll see you around, sometime soon, _perhaps?"_ Oliver asked softly, watching Ara in a nearly pleading way.

* * *

And they did see each other around. Much more than either had expected. Occasionally, multiple times a day.

Whenever they, _saw each other around_ , it was _very_ secretive, behind the Quidditch pitch, in empty classrooms, and _sometimes_ , when Oliver got particularly lucky, he'd managed to sneak Ara into his dorm.

Ara hadn't told the twins, or Adrian, or Nereza, or even _Cedric_ , about Oliver.

Although, she was starting to think that the latter knew, or at least had a hunch. Cedric had mentioned on _numerous_ occasions that Ara was spending considerably less time with everyone, _that she'd name_ , and he'd always give her strange looks when they saw the Gryffindor Quidditch Keeper.

"Ara, what's wrong?" Oliver asked softly, it was one of those days where he'd gotten lucky and managed to sneak the blonde into his dorm.

He propped himself up on one elbow and pecked the shoulder of the shirtless girl sitting over the edge of his bed. She'd been particularly quiet today, and even after partaking in a few _activities,_ looked distraught.

"Nothing Oliver, don't worry about it," The blonde smiled, looking at him from over her shoulder, he pouted.

Ara sighed and fell back into his bed, Oliver positioned himself right above her and began playing with her hair.

"Did I make you uncomfor-"

 _"No!"_ Ara gasped, shaking her head, "-I'm just... feeling a little _stressed_ , that's all, _I promise,"_

"Over what?"

"To much to explain,"

"We've got all day,"

Oliver and Ara both giggled.

They'd managed to clear out their whole schedules, _well,_ up to until when the Gryffindor Quidditch practice took place, since Oliver would _never_ cancel that.

Before Ara could begin to explain her _stress_ , she heard the most _awful_ noise, the sound of _someone_ walking towards the door.

Thankfully, Oliver had heard it too. He swiftly bent over the bed, grabbed his wand, and cast a locking spell over the dorm.

" _Oliver!_ _I need to grab something, open up!"_ Percy Weasley, his roommate, banged on the door repeatedly.

Ara and Oliver gave each other panicked looks.

 _"Yeah,_ one second!" Oliver yelled back while jumping out of his bed and beginning to hand Ara her clothing, which were scattered all over the floor.

"You said Percy would be-" Ara whispered loudly.

 _"I know!"_ Oliver cut her off while jumping back into the bed, he then threw the covers over himself, Ara, and her clothes.

He was fairly bigger then the blonde, so he positioned his body in a way that hid hers.

_"Open the door already! I've got somewhere to be!"_

Percy's voice made Ara squeak, Oliver yelled something back and squeezed the hidden girls shoulder reassuringly. She heard him whisper ' _Alohomora_ ' and then Percy fell into the room.

"What are you doing in here?" Percy hissed, Ara could hear him rummaging around the room, she rolled her eyes from under the covers and stayed _unbelievably_ still.

"I was _trying_ to get some rest," Oliver said back, sounding just as annoyed as Ara felt.

"At this-"

" _Yes_ Percy, at this time of day,"

Ara tried to stifle her giggle by burying her head into Oliver's chest, she felt the boy discreetly rub her back.

"You _clearly_ need it. You're in a rotten mood," Percy mumbled under his breath, Oliver and the hidden girl both rolled their eyes.

"Found what you're looking for?" The Quidditch Keeper snapped.

"Yes-"

"Then _get out,_ so I can rest-"

 _"Relax,_ I'm leaving now, you haven't got to be snappy," Percy said sassily, Ara then heard him walk out of the dorm and shut the door.

The blonde hadn't even been given a moment to relax before the bed covers were roughly pulled off of her. Ara let out a frightened squeal, only to see a very amused Oliver hovering over her.

"Don't suppose I contribute to your stress, _do I?"_ He teased, Ara smiled while rolling her eyes and sitting up slightly.

"Of course you do, it's a good thing you know how to relieve it,"

Oliver laughed rather loudly before pulling Ara into a kiss.

 _"Door,"_ The blonde pulled away from the boy, he grunted in response, and while having his head buried in her neck, effortlessly flicked his wand while mumbling something, the lock clicked.

* * *

"I've got to tell you something," Ara mumbled softly, she was pressed up against a wall while Oliver pulled off his Quidditch robes and kissed down her neck.

 _"Mhm?"_ He wasn't paying attention, and although Ara _thoroughly_ enjoyed what he was doing, this was important.

Ara quickly, yet begrudgingly, pulled away from the Quidditch player.

" _Hey_ , listen to me,"

Oliver groaned and closed his eyes, he rested his forehead on the wall beside Ara's head while they stood in an old office near the Quidditch pitch.

"Cho Chang, she'll be in good health for the match against you, do what you want with that information," Ara murmured, she chuckled when Oliver pull away from her, wide-eyed.

"How do you know?"

"Her and Cedric," Ara brushed her fingers through the boy's hair, he smirked.

" _Oh_ , so you're using Diggory to help me win now, are you?"

Ara gave him an unamused look.

She didn't exactly feel _bad_ about it, since she didn't particularly _care_ for Cho, but she did feel slightly guilty about lying to Cedric.

"I know how much it means to you," Ara mumbled awkwardly, "-So, _please,_ don't bring Ced up,"

Oliver's nodded before letting his head fall into the crook of Ara's neck, the blonde felt him smile against her skin.

"Thank you," He whispered into her ear, before kissing her cheek.

"You didn't hear from me,"

"Of course not, I wouldn't dream of letting poor _Ced_ know about what his best friend is doing,"

 _"I told you-"_ The girl's whining was cut off by Oliver's lips.

Ara rolled her eyes, but quickly kissed him back.

* * *

_"Ar'!_ You're coming to the party in Gryffindor Tower this weekend!" Fred practically yelled upon walking into Defence Against the Dark Arts, Ara raised an eyebrow at him while he and George walked over to their respective desks beside the girl.

"A _party?_ For what?"

"For the sake of a party, _duh!"_ George answered while taking his seat, Ara chucked and shook her head.

Oliver had already told her about the party. But the twins didn't know that.

"Yeah, with what happened at the last one, I think we all need something to take our minds off of that _insane_ Black," Fred mumbled, referring to the way Sirius Black had _attacked_ the last time the Gryffindors had thrown a party.

"That's doesn't make much sense, wouldn't you-"

"No logistics! Just _fun!"_ George interrupted, "- _And_ , don't go disappearing on us during this one!"

 _"Hey! It's_ not my fault I was sick!"

Ara felt bad about lying to the twins, but they'd _freak out_ if they knew that she'd actually spent the night in Oliver's dorm.

"There must've been a bug going around, Oliver wasn't feeling well either,"

Professor Lupin had been listening to their whole conversation while preparing for the class.

"My Fifth Years," Remus clapped his hands, "-Please _refrain_ from talking about your _parties_ in my class, or I may be forced to inform your heads about such plans!"

_Prongs and Padfoot would definitely call me a stick in the mud if they heard me say that._

_"Sorry, Professor,"_ Ara blushed and the twins chuckled at her reaction.

"No worries," Remus smiled, _"-Now,_ for today's lesson-"

 _"Wait!_ Professor, I have a question," Fred cut Lupin off while eyeing the girl next to him. George and Ara both gave the boy a confused look.

"Yes, _Weasley?"_ Remus sighed, leaning against his desk and crossing his arms while eyeing the redhead.

_This boy will be the death of me._

"What do you think of Ara?"

Remus was visibly taken aback by the question. The whole class stifled their giggles, and Ara turned a bright shade of red, she gave Fred a shocked look.

"Please, _sir,_ you don't have to answer that," Ara said quickly.

George was hunched with his forehead on his desk, clearly attempting to hid the laughter that shook through his body. 

_"Sir?"_ Fred repeated teasingly, Ara closed her eyes and refused to acknowledge the redhead. Which clearly irritated him since he went to pull a lock of her hair.

Remus held back a chuckle while eyeing the pair.

_If I didn't know any better, I'd think he was jealous._

"I _think_ Ara is a very talented _student,"_ Remus had noticed that, _much like a cousin of hers,_ Ara _disliked_ being referred to by her last name _,_ "-One that you _shouldn't_ tease so much, or else she might stop letting you copy her homework,"

Fred was the one who looked embarrassed now.

Despite Oliver, Ara had a certain schoolgirl-like _admiration_ towards Professor Lupin, _especially_ when he said things like that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey everyone!! so, i knowww i said updates every sunday, buttt i was really excited to post and couldn't wait!! i feel like this is justified though because this chapter was originally part of one veryyyy long chapter that i decided to split into two, so the second part will be posted tomorrow at 5pm EST as planned :P 
> 
> anyway, have a great day folks, see you tomorrow!! leave kudos/comments if you'd like, they make my day <3


	19. Deadly Secrets

**_Third Book_ **

**_Early-May, 1994_ **   
**_Fifth Year_ **

Saying that Fred was _tipsy_ would've been an understatement.

"Where's Ar'?"

Cedric, who had Cho Chang in his lap, shrugged.

Last he'd seen Ara, she'd been giggling beside Oliver Wood while he whispered something in her ear and ushered her towards a closet. But, Cedric realized it'd be better for _everyone_ if he didn't mention that.

_"No clue,"_

Fred scrunched his eyebrows together. Cedric _always_ knew Ara was.

_Where could she be?_

The party had ended up being _much_ larger than anticipated. Older grades from practically every house were in the Gryffindor common room, getting a long splendidly, _mind you._ The uncharacteristic civility _probably_ had something to do with the Firewhiskey bottles, supplied by none other than Fred and George, being passed around.

The large, _happy,_ crowd made looking for Ara _that_ much more difficult.

The blonde had been blissfully unaware of the fact that she was being tracked down, _that is,_ until the door to the closet she and Oliver had been hiding in was thrown open.

Oliver's hands, which had been snaked under Ara's shirt, immediately flew up beside the girl's head, partially hiding her from whoever it was that had _interrupted._

"What the _fuck,"_ Fred was practically shaking with anger.

Ara scrambled to make herself look presentable while Oliver groaned.

"Fred, _stop it,"_ Ara mumbled softly as she adjusted her shirt, she refused to look at the boy.

"What are you doing?"

"What does it look like, mate?" Oliver asked in an awkwardly hushed voice, arms still propped up beside Ara's head, concealing her from the redheads angry gaze.

"I wasn't asking _you!"_ Fred snapped, Oliver sighed softly and shook his head.

The scene was beginning to attract the attention of _many._

"Fred, you're embarrassing me," Ara muttered, weaving under Oliver's arm to look at the boy.

She was taken aback by how _angry_ he looked.

"Really? _I'm_ the one embarrassing _you?"_ Fred's voice was laced with venom.

Oliver leaned against the wall of the closet, directly behind Ara, feeling _quite_ awkward.

"Yes, Fred, _you are!_ And I can't possibly see how there's any other way to look at it!" Ara hissed.

"What do you even think you're doing? He's older-"

"Only by two years! Who cares? Last I checked, you weren't my _father!_ You don't get to be _upset_ about what I do,"

"Is that why you're doing this? Getting back at _daddy dearest?_ Older boy, _Gryffindor,_ Quidditch captain! He'd surely have a heart attack! That's probably what you want-"

_"Shut up!"_

"Fred, I need you to-"

"Be quiet, Oliver!" Fred did not bothering looking his upperclassman.

"Who do you think you are? You've got _no_ right to speak to me like that! You've got _no_ right to be angry!" Ara was fuming.

"I don't, do I? _Yeah,_ just go snog every boy you meet, _go snog Lupin,_ see if I care! Old Wood here probably wouldn't care either, he's only in it for a-"

Ara slapped Fred.

The sound echoed through the common room, effectively shutting him, and everyone watching, up.

"I don't _need_ you to care, and I don't _need_ him to care either! You're an entitled, hypocritical _git_ , and I'll be damned if I sit here and let you speak to me like that!" Ara hissed quietly while prodding the red-heads chest.

Pushing past everyone, she stormed out of the silent common room. Once she was alone, she felt tears streaming down her face.

_Since when is he such an idiot?_

Ara couldn't go back to the dungeons; she wasn't in the mood to explain what was wrong to her Slytherin colleagues. She couldn't walk the corridors either; it was _way_ past curfew.

_What to do? What to do? What to do?_

Ara groaned and closed her eyes, she tried to picture the Marauders Map in her head, and which passage would be the most useful.

* * *

Upon getting to a familiar mirror on the fourth floor of Hogwarts, Ara quickly fell into the passage behind it.

"Stupid Fred Weasley! How dare you? _Ara you can't do this, Ara you can't do that!_ I'm not in the manor anymore! I can do as I please!" Ara began ranting to herself as she walked through the tunnel angrily.

"-And you haven't got _any_ right to be mad, as if you haven't snogged your _stupid_ Gryffindor Groupies at every party we've _ever_ gone to! As if you don't use girls to pass the time, _constantly!_ And, I've _never_ said a _word_ about it! Even when you got that _disgusting_ sore on your mouth that I had to spend nearly a whole night healing! Not a _word!"_

The blonde found herself wiping away tears while complaining.

"-Ara, you've got to be proper! Ara, you can't have fun! Only _George_ , _Cedric_ and _I_ get to have fun! All you're allowed to do is sit back and watch, act like a perfect little pureblood prefect and take care of us, no fun for you!" Ara made her voice deeper, impersonating the ginger.

She was too upset to notice the glowing eyes watching her throw the fit.

"Stupid, idiotic, _hypocritical_ fu- _AH!"_ Ara's scream upon seeing the eyes, and the body they belong to, was not a scared one, instead she sounded nearly _irritated_.

The _big_ black dog watching her clearly had not expecting the irritation; its eyes widened when she didn't run away cowering.

"You _stupid_ mutt!" Ara could've sworn that the dog looked _offended_ , but she didn't care, "-Couldn't you hear that I was already mad? You couldn't have just _stayed_ in the shadows? You know what I have to do now? I have to go find Professor Hagrid, explain to him why I am out at _ungodly_ hours of the night and tell him there's a dog in the castle!"

Ara turned around, and then heard the dog _growl._

"And don't you _dare_ try to attack me! Be grateful that I am going to Hagrid, who'll be _nice_ to you, instead of dealing with you myself! Which would not be _nearly_ as pleasant!" Ara scolded as she spun around, wand in hand.

This time her scream was due to genuine shock.

The dog had disappeared, and in its place stood a hallow looking man. An _all_ to familiar _,_ hallow looking man.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Ara yelled while stomped her foot on the ground angrily, _and brattishly_ , the man looked taken aback.

_"What-"_

_"Shut up!_ You- _you, UGH!"_

Ara began pacing in front of him, wand pointed, when, _suddenly,_ a realization dawned on her.

_It's not like I'll ever get a chance like this again._

"How did you escape the Black family?" Ara asked, stepping closer to the man.

Sirius Black looked somewhat like a walking skeleton, a skeleton with matted hair and _far_ to many badly done tattoos, that is.

"Excuse me? What's the Blacks business got to do with you? And you know, if you were smart, you would've run away by now," Sirius replied disdainfully, Ara gave him a dull look.

"First of all, I'm half-" Before she could continue, a look of curiosity, _and then realization,_ washed over the mans features.

"Narcissa's?"

Ara nodded and Sirius looked her over.

"You've grown, but then again, that's a given," He sighed, leaning against the tunnel wall while taking the girl's appearance in, "You know, genetics are a funny thing, you-"

 _"Use to have your eyes_ , yes, I know,"

Sirius chuckled, and nodded.

"Lucius must _love_ you," He said sarcastically, Ara rolled her eyes, "-As for the answer to your question, you must find something worth leaving for, be prepared for the best and the worst, because both will come,"

Ara said nothing, eyeing the man in front of her for a moment. Sirius gave her a nearly _amused_ look.

"Care to answer a question of mine?" He didn't wait for her to agree, "-Why aren't you running away?"

"Why would I? You've been in Azkaban for how many years now? The Dementors have surely driven you mad, and possibly rendered your magic useless. To top it off, I seriously doubt you have a wand," Ara motioned down to her own wand, sounding _practically_ bored.

Sirius held back a laugh.

_She clearly didn't take after any of the Malfoy's._

"Well, I haven't gone mad _or_ been rendered magically useless, so I could very easily say _expelliarmus,"_ The man teased.

_'Sirius was, very much, your type of person,'_

"And I could just as easily block it," Ara shrugged, Sirius found her confidence _interesting,_ "-Now, it's been very nice talking to you, but I must take you to Dumbledore,"

"Must you?"

"Well, you _did_ attempt to murder Ron, and I've heard that you're out for Harry's head-"

"I am _not!"_

Ara raised her eyebrows at the mans nearly _childish_ tone, something about Sirius made her feel like he was telling the truth, but then again, he was probably just a good liar.

"Excuse me?"

"I'm _not_ out to kill Harry, and I was _not_ trying to kill that ginger-"

_"Ron,"_

"Yes, _whatever,_ Ron,"

"I'm not stupid, Sirius, I know you're lying to me," Ara rolled her eyes and began to recite a spell that would immobilize him.

"Stop! _Ara_ , please!"

Ara stopped the spell immediately, shocked that the man knew her name.

_He must've heard me talking to myself._

"Your mother-"

"Do _not_ talk about my mother!" Ara snapped, pointing her wand towards the mans neck.

Sirius sighed softly before stepping closer to the blonde in front of him.

_She's got a sharp wand, one forward motion and I'm done for._

"Listen to me, _Ara Andromeda_ -" He sounded nearly _gentle._

Despite trying to keep her composure, Ara's eyes widened.

"How do you know-"

"Narcissa and I were very close at one point. She's had your name picked out for a _long_ time,"

"That isn't a reason for me to let you-"

"But it is! Write your mother, she will tell you herself, I am innocent, I am _not_ a murderer,"

_Although I plan to be._

"But, Harry-"

"I am _not_ out to kill Harry!" Sirius was sounding more and more desperate, "- _Please_ let me go, we will go our separate ways and you won't have to worry about me, or about explaining to everyone how you found me, besides we _are_ family, I _promise_ you will _not_ regret this,"

Ara _knew_ she shouldn't trust the man. But, he seemed _very_ genuine.

 _"If_ I let you go, you _must_ leave the castle and not come back, you _must_ swear it," Ara whispered, Sirius felt a strange sense of pride towards the girl.

_She's good, she's got to be._

"I will try my best, but I cannot swear that, however, I can promise that I will _not_ cause _any_ trouble,"

_That you'll know about._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey everyone! first chapter posted following the update schedule!! hope you enjoy it! personally i really love this update because it introduces us to sirius and i have a lot of plans involving him mwahahaha 
> 
> anyway thank you all for reading, and id also like specifically to thank everyone who takes the time to comment and leave kudos, you folks rlly give me sm seratonin <3
> 
> see you all next sunday, around 5-6pm EST, love ya!!


	20. Champions

_**Third Book** _

**_Late-May, 1994_  
_Fifth Year_ **

Ara sat alone in the Slytherin common room, revising for her O.W.L's.

_I do hope Fred and George have been studying._

Today was the Gryffindor vs Slytherin Quidditch match, the winner would take the Quidditch Cup, and Ara couldn't _bare_ to watch it. She knew it was wrong, but _deep_ down she was hoping Gryffindor won.

Slytherin had taken the cup home for Merlin-knows how many years in a row, and Ara knew how badly Oliver wanted to win it, this year was his last chance to do so before he graduated.

_He deserved it._

They'd, _reluctantly_ , stopped seeing each other. Something about the way he hadn't stood up for her _that_ night, along with the fact that Oliver's Quidditch team was now _very_ estranged, attributed to the pair ending things.

The demise of the _relationship_ , if you could call it that, had surely delighted Fred, not that Ara knew. She hadn't spoken to him since the night that he'd found out about the two of them.

That was the same night she had met Sirius Black.

And let him go.

After she'd done so, she couldn't believe herself. But, biting her tongue and hoping the man would keep his word, she didn't tell anyone anything.

_'Sirius is a good man Ara, remember that, will you?'_

Her mother's words were the sole thing that kept her guilt at bay when it came to letting Sirius go. Surely Narcissa knew what she was talking about.

_Right?_

Sighing deeply, Ara rested her head against her Arithmancy textbook. She couldn't help but wonder how the game was going.

" _Right_ , let's skip to Astronomy," Ara mumbled to herself, beginning to feel _sick_ of Arithmancy.

She flipped through her astronomy charts and began reading up on certain constellations, smiling widely when she got to one that she was named after.

Ara, the altar, was where Zeus and the other Greek gods met and found a safe haven, _a refuge,_ before the war against their evil father, Cronus, and his Titans. It was where they swore a vow of allegiance to each other. Essentially, where they decided that there would be justice.

_'She's had your name picked out for a long time.'_

Ara kept replaying the night in her head as she tried to study. Specifically the last moment, as she watched Sirius leave.

_"-And Ara, your mother has never done anything without a reason, naming you certainly didn't change that,"_

_"What_ _'s_ _that supposed to mean?"_

_"It means, she'd hoped you'd be like your namesake, like Andy, and I can tell you haven't disappointed her yet,"_

Ara shook her head and tried to get her uncle, or cousin, or _whatever_ he was, out of her head.

He probably just said all that so she wouldn't report him to Dumbledore. Ara groaned and fell back into her chair, while staring at the ceiling she contemplated her mistakes.

She could tell Dumbledore now. Tell him about the passage. But what was it worth? Sirius was long gone. And she couldn't tell the Headmaster about the Marauders Map.

Sirius had _promised_ he wouldn't hurt anyone. And it'd been eerily calm in the castle ever since, perhaps he'd left? Ara knew the Blacks were rich, and he was the only living beneficiary. He could easily disappear.

Bursting her bubble of thought, the common room door burst open, and, in quite a _mopey_ mood, the first wave of Slytherins coming back from the game shuffled in.

She didn't need to ask to know. Slytherin had lost.

_Gryffindor had won. The twins had won. Oliver had won._

Ara hid her smile at the thought, she gave everyone sympathetic looks as they walked past her. Nereza had come in too, she fell into the chair next to Ara while sighing loudly.

 _"You know,_ it's better that you didn't go, I wish I hadn't, could've used more time to revise for my Transfiguration O.W.L.," Nereza groaned while planting her chin onto the table that the two girls sat at.

"How bad was it?"

"You don't want to know. I'm surprised no one turned up dead,"

Ara cringed at the thought.

"And the team? How're they taking it?"

Nereza groaned.

"Badly, _of course_ , you know, they didn't even _play_ Adrian this game,"

Ara had already known this, Marcus Flint had told her _all_ about his plan for this match, he wanted size over skill.

"I _told_ Marcus that was a stupid move," Ara shook her head before rereading one of her notes. Her and Nereza both studied together until the Quidditch team turned up.

When they did, Ara got up out of her seat, and hugged her brother, Draco, although stiff, knew better then to not hug her back.

 _"Next season,"_ She whispered, before letting go and crossing her arms at Flint, he gave her a defeated look.

"You had a good run and you've done your house proud, now enjoy the rest of your graduating year," Ara told him, he sighed deeply.

"You really _should_ apply to be a professor; you'd be a much better head of house then Snape," Flint shook his head, "-Spent the better half of an hour yelling at us in the change room,"

Ara chuckled, that sounded like Uncle Sev.

"He's only disappointed, _you know,_ he's _just_ as prideful as the rest of us,"

Marcus sighed and nodded.

"Take care of the team next year? Merlin knows what Bole and Derrick will do to it,"

Lucian Bole and Peregrine Derrick where both a year older than Ara and would be the oldest on the Slytherin Quidditch team once Flint graduated. They were rotten boys, who knew little about respect.

_Especially when it came to women._

Ara had been forced to hex them on _numerous_ occasions after female Slytherins would come to her complaining about _wandering_ hands.

"You know I'll try, but I find keeping any year from cheating is a difficult task," Flint rolled his eyes at the teasing, but gave Ara a nod. He smiled softly when she patted his shoulder and went on to the next boy.

"They should've played me," Adrian sighed and shook his head, "-I wouldn't have gotten us _any_ fouls," He shot a glare at the chaser who'd replaced him.

"You've got two more years Ade, plenty time to make up for the loss," Ara came in closer, "-And hopefully enough time to help pick a few Serpents not so willing to cheat, follow your footsteps, _y'know?"_

* * *

Ara, although not big on Quidditch, was a big supporter of her house.

That's why she waited until every player from the Slytherin team went into their dorm, _which hadn't taken long due to their sorrow,_ before she scurried out of her common room.

She absentmindedly hurried towards Gryffindor Tower, and upon getting there, conversed politely with the Fat Lady, she knew better than to try to get in without a password.

A smile etched across Ara's face, she could hear the lions celebrating from the corridor.

"I _could_ let you in, but only as a one time-" The Fat Lady murmured, Ara smiled.

"That's _very_ kind of you, but I don't think I'm particularly welcomed inside," The blonde shook her head, and in that moment, a small First Year stumbled out of the common room.

Ara grabbed their shoulder, effectively helping them stay on their feet, and stopping them from leaving.

"Fetch George Weasley or Oliver Wood, please? Whichever seems the least busy," She smiled, the First Year, although looking a bit intimidated, nodded and dashed back into the Gryffindor common room.

Ara leaned back against the wall and waited, the First Year had ended up successfully dragging out a Weasley.

But it was not George.

Ara took a deep breath, and without uttering a word, turned her heel. She began to make her way back to the dungeons.

Before she could get to far, the incorrectly fetched Weasley grabbed her arm.

"I'm sorry, Ara," The redhead mumbled under his breath.

"You're always quite sorry, aren't you, _Fred?"_ Ara asked, _bitterly_ , while trying to wiggle herself out of his grip.

"I was drunk that night, and I know that's not an excuse, because it was wrong of me-"

"It was," Ara turned around to face the boy. She couldn't help but feel _slightly_ bad upon taking a look at his face.

_He looks so sad. Being upset doesn't suit him._

"If you and Wood, _broke up,_ because of _me-,"_ Fred began awkwardly, Ara raised her eyebrows.

"You've always been full of yourself," She shook her head, "-If you _must_ know, we were never really together, so there was no _breaking up._ We were only... _using_ each other, so it was bound to end eventually,"

Perhaps it was a bit wrong, but Ara really didn't feel _romantically_ inclined towards Oliver, at least, not anymore. Along with being a bit _disappointing_ in the romance department, Ara had found herself having far to many daydreams involving other _people_ for her to actually _like_ Oliver _._

"I'm still sorry, _Ar',"_ Fred shook his head.

Ara was quiet as she looked over Fred's nearly distraught features.

_You always forgive him. Why?_

"Don't be, it was probably for the best-"

 _"Ara!"_ George _unknowing_ ruined whatever moment Ara and his twin were having when he practically _fell_ out the Gryffindor common room entrance. 

He ran towards the blonde and hugged her tightly, lifting her off the ground.

Ara laughed loudly as the redhead spun her around, nearly forgetting the previous conversation.

"Good job!" Ara smiled widely when George put her down.

"Did you watch?"

"Unfortunately not,"

"Shame, that means you didn't get to witness _first hand_ how your snakes got _pummelled_ ," George teased, Ara laughed loudly.

Fred watched them from afar while mulling things over in his head, with a sigh, he _knew_ what he had to do.

Ara and George continued talking to each other rapidly, they were so immersed in their conversation, they hadn't even noticed when Fred slipped back into the common room.

_"I'm very happy for you George,"_

"I suppose you had to hide that from the players dressed in green?" A familiar voice asked, forcing both Ara and George to look towards the portrait of the Fat Lady.

Oliver Wood stood next to it, leaning against the wall, looking mighty smug. George's face morphed into a comedic one as he glanced between the two students.

"I'll just... leave you two _alone_ ," He said awkwardly, before practically running back into his common room.

 _"No one is allowed outside the common room!"_ She heard the boy scream before the entrance shut.

Ara chuckled under her breath and looked down at her feet, when she looked up again, Oliver was standing in front of her.

"Congratulations Oliver, you deserved this," Ara said softly. It was not awkward between the two, instead, _comfortably_ quiet. Oliver gave her a warm smile.

He'd always have a special place in her heart.

"Thank you, Ara," Oliver glanced down at the girls lips before placing a hand behind her neck, similar to the way he had when they shared their first kissed.

"What do you say, _once more_ , for old times sake?" Oliver asked, slowly closing in on the girl, Ara laughed softly.

"You said that when we agreed to end things," The girl teased, but did not make an effort to stop him, in fact, she began leaning in as well.

"I wasn't a Quidditch Cup champion when we agreed to that," Oliver shrugged cheekily, and then kissed her.

Which went on for a _while_.

Until, begrudgingly, Oliver pulled away. Sighing deeply, he rested his forehead against Ara's, who was slightly out of breath.

" _You know_ , after you graduate, if you and Fred don't work out, we could always try again," Oliver said under his breath, Ara rolled her eyes, but smiled.

"Me and _Fred?_ I think you've been celebrating a bit to hard,"

Oliver chuckled and shook his head.

"Don't be a stranger, invite me to the wedding, yeah?" He teased, although, not that Ara'd noticed, there was a hint of sadness in his voice.

"All that Quidditch has finally drove you mad, one to many Bludgers to the head, perhaps?" Ara giggled, and then pulled the boy in for one last, bittersweet, kiss.

"Good luck with your N.E.W.T.'s," Ara murmured once she pulled away, Oliver nodded.

"And to you with your O.W.L's,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey everyone!! hope youre all doing well!! im sorry if this chapter is a bit boring :/ the next one will be better, at least i think so hahahaha
> 
> also!! this is sort of important, im currently looking for a beta reader, and if any of you could give me some advice on where to find one thatd be great (i'll be asking my ff.net readers too)!! anyway, we are getting reallyyyy close to the end of part one, after which i'll post this story to wattpad with moodboards and stuff!! (and perhaps learn how to post images on ao3 :p) 
> 
> anyway hope you all have a great week, see you next sunday between 5-6 PM EST, anddd leave kudos/comments if youd like!!


	21. Accomplice

_**Third Book** _

**_June 6th, 1994_  
_Fifth Year_ **

One of the many things Ara _disliked_ about being a prefect were the patrols.

Per a schedule, which was frequent to changes, prefects had to roam a few designated halls to make sure no one was sneaking around or causing trouble.

These patrols happened after classes, throughout the weekends, and a few times past curfew every night.

No one liked getting scheduled for past-curfew patrol. Unfortunately, on the night that exams ended, Ara had been scheduled to do one.

Before, Oliver use to sneak out whenever she was scheduled for curfew patrol, and _entertain_ her during the boring task. Sadly, that was no longer the case.

Half asleep, and alone, the girl walked the halls, her wand raised, _just in case._

She'd finished her last O.W.L. exam today, which had been for Defence Against the Dark Arts, with a heavy heart.

_Perhaps Professor Lupin will come back next year?_

The man hadn't done anything bad, or worth being fired for yet, he seemed to be enjoying his position, and he was the most knowledgeable, _and best looking_ _,_ D.A.D.A. teacher Ara'd had her whole five years at Hogwarts.

With a sigh, Ara shook her head. There was no point in getting her hopes up; she knew the Professor wouldn't be coming back. There was a known curse on the D.A.D.A. teaching position that wouldn't allow him to. Ara could only hope the curse wouldn't do anything drastic- _like kill him._ She shuddered at the thought.

It was _clearly_ getting late, and Ara's thoughts where also _clearly_ getting the better of her.

She became even more aware of this when she could've sworn she'd heard someone running behind her, only to turn around and see _nothing._

She stopped and raised an eyebrow.

" _Peeves_?" She called out, eyes darting around the corridor, "-Is that you? Because I'm not in my mood tonight,"

Silence.

"Peeves, I'm warning you, _any_ funny business and I'm calling the Baron without a second thought,"

"You're no fun Ar'," A voice whispered into Ara's ear, the blonde screamed.

She spun her heel and came face to face with two ginger mops of hair. _The Weasley twins._ Fred looked ever so smug, and George was cringing while rubbing his ears.

" _Bloody hell Ara_ , you nearly popped my eardrums,"

"What are you two _idiots_ doing out so late?!" Ara hissed, pointing her wand between the two boys, who both gave the pointy piece of wood an unamused glance, they knew Ara'd _never_ use it on them.

" _Well_ -" Fred began.

"Actually! _I don't care,_ because then I don't have to get you in trouble for it, now go back to Gryffindor Tower before someone meaner sees you _,"_

"Ara, we came looking for you," George said awkwardly, the blonde gave him a strange look.

"What? _Why?"_ Her eyes darted between the two boys, they looked nearly _serious._

The twins were _never_ serious.

"We need your help. It's Ron, _and_ Harry, _and_ Hermione," Fred mumbled, something about his tone made the girl immediately feel on edge.

"What happened? Are they okay?"

"We don't know where they are," George glanced around the corridor before continuing, "-They went out a while ago, something to do with Hagrid and that Hippogriff, but they're still not back, and we're starting to get worried,"

They were referring to the Hippogriff that had attacked Draco. The animal had been put down today, after _a lot_ of attempts to save its life had been made, coming from both Ara and the golden _trio._

"You two? _Worried_? You aren't playing a trick on me, are you?"

The twins shook their heads. Ara bit her lip and gave the situation some thought.

"Have you checked the map to see where they are?"

Fred and George shared an awkward look.

"Well, _you see_ , we don't exactly have the map anymore," George began while rubbing the back of his neck.

"What do you mean ' _you don't exactly have the map anymore'_?" The girl snapped.

"Well, we've memorized it-"

"-And Harry needed it,"

"So, you gave it to him?!"

The twins nodded, Ara groaned and covered her face.

"Are you two actually worried?"

"Yes Ar'," Fred whispered quietly. The girl in front of the two brothers sighed and began pacing.

"Why don't we go to Professor McGonagall? She's your head of house,"

"She's too strict, going to her will get us _all_ in a world of trouble," George sighed.

"Okay, we could go to Professor Sna-"

"We are _not_ going to Snape, he'll probably say ' _good riddance'_ and be on his merry way!" Fred shook his head. Ara gave him a dull look, but didn't disagree.

"What about Dumbledore?" George offered, Ara gave him a disapproving look.

 _"_ You know what the Headmaster is like, he'll probably give us a riddle, laugh like a maniac, and then tell us to go sleep,"

"She's right, George," Fred sighed, while crossing his arms.

"What about Professor Lupin?" Ara offered quietly, Fred gave her a slightly amused look.

"Of course _you'd_ think of Lupin," He teased, Ara glared at the boy.

"Don't get cheeky, or I'll report you for being out past curfew, and send you back to the tower without a second thought," She threatened, Fred stuck his tongue out at her and she rolled her eyes at him.

" _Freddie_ , Lupin _is_ the best choice," George admitted, interrupting the two before their bickering could continue.

"Told you," Ara said smugly, Fred rolled his eyes.

" _Fine_ , off to Lupin,"

The three, with Ara leading since she was _technically_ the only one allowed out, quickly made their way to Lupins office, where the door was closed.

"What do we do now?" Ara asked, the three Fifth Years anxiously watched the corridor for any sign of someone coming.

"You have to knock," Fred shrugged, Ara gave him a shocked look.

"Why me?"

"Because _we're_ Fred and George, and _you're_ Ara, connect the dots," George said in _duh_ tone.

Ara did connect the dots. And if she was a Professor, she'd be much more inclined to open her door for a prefect then two well-known pranksters.

" _Why did I agree to this?"_ Ara asked herself quietly, before proceeding to knock on the door, "-Professor Lupin, _please_ open up, it's urgent,"

Nothing. Nothing at all. Not even the sound of someone moving around.

" _Great,"_ Fred groaned, and without giving Ara a chance to oppose, he stepped in front of her and threw the door open.

_"Fred!"_

The boy grabbed a distressed Ara by the wrist and pulled her into the shockingly _empty_ office. George followed the two and shut the door behind him.

"You said it yourself Ar', _it's urgent_ , besides he probably won't-"

Fred lost his train of thought upon seeing _it._

His brother and the girl, who's wrist he was still holding, were also shocked by what they saw. Right there, on Lupins desk, sat the Marauders Map, in all its glory.

"Oh, _Harry_ , you idiot," George groaned, the three of them quickly walked over to the Map.

"I wonder where the Professor is," Fred mused rhetorically.

"Is there a full moon?"

The twins shot each other a curious look upon hearing the question.

 _"What?"_ Fred scrunched his eyebrows together, while his brother went to look out of the window in Lupin's office.

"There is," George confirmed, not bothering to move away from the window.

"He's always ' _sick_ ' on days when there are full moons," Ara shrugged nonchalantly.

She found the behaviour strange, but knew it wasn't her business, she'd never even asked her Uncle Sev about the abnormal behaviour.

"Of course _you'd-"_

"Freddie, _sh_ _ut up_ and look for the kids on the map,"

Ara fell back into Lupin's chair.

 _"Freddie, shut up and look for the kids on the map,_ " Fred mimicked her voice, before quickly beginning to read the map, searching for Ron, Harry and Hermione's names.

George and Ara watched him from the window and Lupins chair respectively.

"Must be wrong," Fred shook his head, stepping away from the map. Ara and George gave each other confused looks, before jumping over to him.

"What do you mean _wrong?"_

"The map is _never_ wrong, Freddie,"

"Well, it must be now! Take a look for yourselves!" Fred snapped, shaking his head fervently.

Upon seeing what Fred had seen, Ara began to shake.

_I've killed him._

"Ara, are you okay?" Fred asked softly, immediately noticing her change in demeanour.

 _"Good Godric_ ," George gasped upon seeing it as well.

Ron Weasley, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Remus Lupin, Severus Snape, some man named Peter Pettigrew, and _Sirius Black,_ were all in the Shrieking Shack together.

Ara let out a sob.

"I've helped _murder_ Harry Potter," She croaked, and then sobbed again while falling back into Professor Lupin's chair, she buried her head in her hands.

Fred and George snapped their heads over to each other, shocked to say the least.

 _"Ara..."_ George didn't know what to say, he stared at the girl, perplexed.

"What do you mean you've helped _murder_ Harry, Ar'?" Fred asked firmly while bending down to Ara's height in the chair. She refused to meet his gaze.

"I-I-I shouldn't have believed him, I should've told the Headmaster-"

"Ara, _what_ are you talking about?" Fred forced the crying girl to look at him, she gave him a hopeless look.

"The night- _of the party_ , after we yelled at each other, when I left," Ara paused, not to cry but to hit her head against the back of Lupins chair, "-I didn't want to go back into the dungeons, so I went through one of the passages, just for a walk, to calm down, and-"

 _"And?"_ The twins asked at the same time.

"-I saw Sirius Black!"

_"Ara!"_

"You _what_?!"

"I didn't report him! He- _he_ started talking about my mother and how we're family, and then he promised me he wasn't going to hurt anyone, that he wasn't going to kill Harry-"

"And you _believed_ him?!" Fred bellowed.

George leaned against the edge of Lupins desk, too shocked for words. He stared at the ground with a hollow expression, while Fred began to pace around the room.

"Ara, why would you believe him? How could you be so gullible? He's a _murderer,_ a convicted _murder!_ It's a miracle he didn't kill _you!"_ Fred began ranting angrily.

He couldn't believe Ara, _his_ Ara _,_ had been so stupid. She was far from stupid, _hell_ , she was far from gullible! The only exception being when she supported her house Quidditch team, but that was because she was too proud to admit that they were cheaters! She had no reason to be gullible for _Sirius Black!_

 _"I don't know!_ I was just _so_ mad at everything! And then I found him, and he made _such_ a good argument and seemed _so_ genuine-"

"He's been in Azkaban _for years!_ Of course he _seemed_ genuine! I bet he's been practicing whatever story he tricked you into believing for, _like_ , ever!"

"Freddie, stop yelling, I can't think," George mumbled, his brother and Ara went quiet, "-Okay, we don't know anyone is dead yet, Lupin is with them, surely he can stand his own against Black?"

"Unless Lupin is in on it!"

 _"Fred!"_ Both George and Ara gasped.

"Lupin- you said he's been getting sick as if he was on a schedule, _right?_ What if he's just agreed to meet with Black every full moon, and that's why he's never here! What if he let him in the castle the night of the party? It was a full moon then too!" Fred directed his questions towards Ara. The girl took a deep breath and stood up.

"That doesn't make sense-"

"But it could! Right now, we know nothing! Other than that Ron, Harry and Hermione are in a room with a murderer, _Snape_ , Lupin, who is looking very suspicious right now, and- _and_ some _man_ named Peter-"

"Peter Pettigrew," Ara cut him off, looking as if she'd had an epiphany, "-Peter Pettigrew is _dead,"_

"Merlin, he _is,"_ George gasped, Fred glanced between the two, he was left out of whatever realization they'd come across.

He'd never been much good at Wizarding History.

"He's _clearly_ not! He's right there, walking-" Fred paused upon noticing a strange scene beginning to play out on the map, which included pacing, and running from everyone in the shack, Snape falling and not getting up, to Ara's horror.

It included Peter Pettigrew, a supposedly dead man, walking around Remus Lupin and Sirius Black, while Ron, Harry, and Hermione, stood idly.

"Something is _very_ wrong," George mumbled, Ara and Fred said nothing back as they watched the scene.

"Watching this _stupid_ thing is not going to fix anything. We've got to do something," Ara suddenly seemed to have gotten her head back, and was behaving like her normal self.

"Like what?"

Soon enough, Fred, George and Ara were running around the castle, desperately trying to find Dumbledore because he _surely_ wouldn't give them a riddle for _this._ They stopped caring about the noise they were creating.

It took them a while to find the Headmaster. Considering how far his office was from Lupin's, and then considering that he _wasn't_ in his office. They'd decided that their next best bet was the infirmary, since Madam Pomfrey never left the infirmary, and she'd be the first to know if someone was actually _dead._

The infirmary had been the right choice, because Dumbledore had been right there when they arrived.

_"Dumbledore!"_

_"Headmaster!"_

_"Sir!"_

The old man swiftly turned around, coming face to face with the three out-of-breath Fifth Years, his previously neutral expression turned to an almost amused one.

"I suspect you three have learned what I have,"

"We- _umh_ ," They began stuttering and speaking over each other frantically.

"I think you'll find what you're looking for inside,"

Without another word, the trio sprinted through the infirmary doors, much to Madam Pomfrey's frustration. Ara felt a wave of relief wash over her when she saw that everyone that Madam was tending to was _alive._

She felt so much relief, that she didn't even realize there were tears streaming down her cheeks. The first person she ran to was Harry, since she felt that he was the one she'd put in the most danger.

The boy was shocked to see her. Even more shocked when she ran over to him and practically fell beside him on his infirmary bad.

"You're alive!" She cried while holding his face between her hands, he gave her a confused look.

_"What-"_

Ara hugged him so tightly, Harry found it difficult to breathe, never mind _talk_.

"I'm _so_ sorry Harry, I should've reported Sirius right away, I'm so glad he didn't kill you-" The girl ranted, hiccuping every once in a while due to her crying.

Hermione watched the exchange, confused to say the least, while Fred and George stood at Ron's bedside, poking the boy as Madam Pomfrey scolded them.

"Ara, what- _what_ are you talking about?" Harry managed to ask, Ara sniffled and pulled away from the boy, continuing to hold his face between her hands.

It was a strange feeling. Ara had always been nice. But Harry never knew she was like _this_. For a split second, he found himself jealous of Draco.

_Must be nice to have a big sister._

"I saw Sirius Black, _before today_ , but I never reported him, I know it was stupid, I'll tell the Headmaster what I did and take whatever punishment-"

Harry's eyes widened as he listened to the older girl speak.

"Thank you," He said softly, before pulling Ara in for another hug. She stiffened slightly before hugging him back. She wasn't sure _why_ the boy was thankful that she'd put him in danger.

Ara then glanced at Hermione, who was watching the two curiously, somehow managing to peel Harry off, Ara quickly moved to sit on the girls bed.

"And you, I apologize for endangering your life as well, it was very irresponsible of me," Ara whispered softly, she'd always liked ' _Granger_ ', as Draco referred to her as.

Hermione shook her head, before going to hug the girl as well.

"You did the right thing," Hermione whispered to her, before pulling away, "-It's a _really_ long story,"

Ara wiped away a few of her tears and chuckled, she then felt two tall figures come up beside her.

" _Merlin_ , Ar' you've been such a crybaby tonight," She heard Fred's voice say teasingly, she shot the boy a guilty look from over her shoulder, before smiling and shaking her head.

"Forgive me, I thought I'd accidentally become an accomplice to murder, _Freddie_ ,"

Fred rolled his eyes at her sarcastic tone.

"If you three will not leave, will you at least let me give my patients their chocolate?" Madam Pomfrey's shrill voice asked, everyone laughed softly, other than the older nurse of course.

"I think you outta whip up a calming potion for Ar' afterwards, Madam," Fred joked.

Ara, with a shake of her head, stood up from Hermione's bed and walked over to Fred, who laced an arm around her shoulder protectively.

Madam Pomfrey gave them a small smile after letting out a _tsk_ , obviously trying to hide her amusement, she then handed all _five_ students a piece of chocolate.

The matron let the Fifth Years spend the night in the infirmary. Once the healer had turned the light off, Ara found herself staring at the moonlit ceiling, unable to sleep.

" _Guys,"_ She whispered softly, and then heard hums as a response, "-For future reference, I wasn't here, and I most _definitely_ did _not_ cry tonight,"

Loud laughter erupted from everyone, even herself, to which an angry Madam Pomfrey shushed them.

" _Ara_ ," Hermione's voice whispered once they'd all calmed down, "-Doesn't this remind you of last year?"

The two girls laughed _extra_ loud.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we are officially posted on wattpad!! if any of you would like to look at how *i* perceive ara, you can check out the moodboards there!! (the user and fic title are the same and pls, if we dont see ari the same way, keep envisioning her in your own way!!)
> 
> on a more serious note, i'm going to take a bit of a break until the next update. i'm sort of really struggling with writing the gof chapters rn and i've finished most of them but seriously dislike how they turned out. along with that, my mental state hasnt really been the best and i think i need a bit of a break to get my head back on straight. i'll be back as soon as i feel confident with myself and writing again because i do not want to be posting chapters im not proud of/like. i hope none of you mind, i'm really sorry!! 
> 
> anyway, have a great day, i love you all so much and thank you for reading up to now!! levae kudos/comments if you'd like, they make my day!! p.s. i'll still be active on ao3/ff.net and wattpad during my break, so feel free to contact me.


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